


Mismatched Fragments Redux

by Yangster



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Food, Genderswap, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23608621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yangster/pseuds/Yangster
Summary: A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: It has been an incredibly long time since I have written a piece of fan fiction. I have however kept up with my writing in the form of an original project that I am working on, so I am not super rusty. Hopefully.
> 
> Anyways, when I logged back on one day, I looked over at the stories that I had written, but never finished; only one seemed to pique my interest, and it was Mismatched Fragments. Perhaps it is because I have gotten older now, but that story seemed to have the most mature themes to it that stood out the most, which is probably why I am going to try my hand at re-writing it with the skills I have now.
> 
> The first few chapters up until the point I left off will mostly be about the same. I just corrected some spelling mistakes, re-worded some paragraphs, and threw in a bit of flair.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

_Yes._

That had been the word that he had so badly wanted to hear when he had gotten down on one knee and poured his heart out.

It had been a wonderful day. The beautiful, blue sky was filled with clouds that looked like fluffy strands of spun, white sugar, the breeze had been so gently pleasant, and the flowers were blooming, filling the air with the sweet smell of new life. What had stood out the most to him though was the vibrant sun, like a golden globe that shined most brilliantly down on the two of them on that early spring day.

It had been a great day; perhaps even the perfect day.

But, no matter how perfect that day may have been, its beauty to him was shattered the moment he heard those words.

_No._

He had it all planned out: a trip to the coast on the top of a cliff with a gorgeous view, and a beautiful ring made of gold with an elegant emerald in it. He was going to propose to her, and she was going to say yes; they were going to then get married, and have a wonderful life together.

Except that did not happen.

Her rejection took him by complete surprise. He had been on his knees, the sea breeze running through his blonde hair, with a smile on his face that had lingered for a few seconds as his brain refused to acknowledge the truth of what she had actually said. There was no way, right?

_I'm sorry, but I just can't._

The ring in his hand had felt like a weighted stone; its earlier gloss had all but remained as it faded away and became dull.

_Why?_

He wondered if he should have even asked. Was the additional pain gained worth learning her answer worth it?

_I just can't see a future with you._

No. It was not. He had wanted to be fair and virtuous, to take her words as a lesson to be learned, but he could not. He would not. His mind wracked over it, replaying the scene over and over again, each time leading to him looking over his entire relationship with her, and to ask the eventual question.

_What did I do wrong?_

It was as if something had grabbed his heart, and began to squeeze. He had never choked as hard as he did back then; never in his life had he ever been rendered speechless. It had not even ended there as the universe seemed to have wanted him to suffer more by making the ride home extra awkward. There had been no happy conversation, no her resting her head on his shoulder, or anything of the sort. It was as if a stranger had walked into his car, and he was now driving them back to his home—their home.

The only thing that kept him distracted from the silence was the sound of the radio, but not even that was enough to clear the one thought in his head.

_What do I do now?_

Mustering up all the willpower that he had, he repressed that thought. It had been plaguing him for several days now, which he knew was unhealthy, but he was nearly powerless to stop it; a part of him even welcomed it, finding some strange comfort in wallowing in his own misery. He had noticed that he had been doing that a lot lately, burning away his vacation days by staying in bed, sleeping when he could, and crying or staring at the ceiling when he could not. He called it recuperation, but even he was not deluded enough to actually believe that.

He was just being pathetic.

Rolling over to face the blaring alarm-clock on his nightstand, he let out a long, drawn-out sigh, and turned it off before crawling out from underneath his sheets. Sliding his feet off of the bed, he sat there for several seconds before going to stretch, groaning as he did so; his back felt sore and his shoulder blades ached considerably, and it took much more effort than usual to stand up.

Why was it that after almost a full week of doing nothing, he just decided to get out of bed?

Sadly, it was because he had work today.

Trudging over to his bathroom, Naruto barely flinched as he turned on the lights; its overbearing glare barely fazed him as he took a step closer towards the sink, placed his hands onto the counter, and looked into the mirror. As for what he saw...

Well... He looked much better than he felt—that was for sure.

Rubbing a hand against the stubble that had developed on the lower-half of his face, he took a mental note to shave before turning on the shower, and stripping off his sweat-stained clothes. As Naruto stood there awkwardly waiting for the shower to heat up, that particular thought began to make its re-appearance, dashing away what hope he had of putting himself in a good mindset before his first day back at work.

Really, what he would give for a break from his own mind!

Rubbing his temple with his fingers, he then slid the shower door open, and stepped inside. Immediately, he stepped back out before opening the adjacent shower door to adjust the water knob; the water had been too hot—how typical of him.

Stepping in once again, he let out a deep sigh as the perfect temperature water began to work its magic on his body. Tilting his head, he allowed some of it to drape over his blonde hair, causing it to slant downwards and to darken, and to run over his face. It was nice, but only for about a minute. Eventually the sound of the water hitting the tile floor turned into white noise, and he was once again alone with his thoughts.

He would have to be quick as he knew that there was no other place where one's thoughts were as pervasive than in the shower; usually that was a good thing, but not after a break-up.

Cutting his usual fifteen-minute shower down to five, he then stepped out onto the mat. Grabbing a clean towel, he began to wipe himself dry, spending extra time drying his hair as roughly as he could in the hopes that the feeling of it scraping against his scalp would help to distract him—it did not.

Sighing once more, he then grabbed his razor, and stepped in front of the mirror. Leaning forward a bit, he stretched skin around his chin to get a good look at what he had to get rid of before applying a layer of shaving cream, and began shaving. As he started, he had a passing thought that perhaps if he concentrated solely on his morning routine, he would be able to stop himself from thinking any further about what had transpired. He would just need to last until he got to work; once there, he would be able to just focus on keeping his customers happy.

Rinsing off, he left his bathroom, and began making his way to his dresser to grab his work clothes and an additional outfit to change into after. He paused however when he saw the open ring box on top—still open.

The glimmering emerald shined annoyingly in the dim light, almost mocking him with how perfect it was while his life was anything but. Frowning, he closed it, and placed it underneath a few pairs of his underwear. It was probably best to hide it before it caused him any more unpleasant thoughts, he figured.

Grabbing his keys, he closed the door behind him before heading down to the underground parking lot of his apartment complex. As he passed by the usual cars on his way to his own, he could not help but feel discouraged to know that every single one of them were better than his. Oh well, he thought, it was his fault for choosing to live so close to the local rich kid academy.

It kind of amused him though. While everyone living in his complex was driving automatic, he still drove manual; it was nice knowing he had at least that over them. Still, that was not much, and he would be lying if he said otherwise.

He hated lying—even to himself.

Sticking in his key and turning it, he took a quiet moment in the satisfying sound of his car revving up. At least that joyful part of his life was not missing, he thought, taking a deep breath as he placed his hands firmly on the wheel.

"One day at a time... You can do this."

Perhaps if he kept motivating himself with such phrases, he could get through the day. It was worth a try, at least.

The drive to work was as mundane as ever, which was to be expected as he had pretty much gotten used to living in his city. People walked through the streets, most of them wearing business attire or the uniform for the local school; almost all of them were busily looking down at their phones. It was a miracle how no one bumped into anyone else despite almost every single one of them having their eyes glued to a screen.

As a person that had never bought into the whole smartphone craze, Naruto felt as if he was a spectator, awkwardly watching as all of civilization became consumed by phone usage.

Just kidding. He also owned a smartphone. He just seldom used it.

It only took him fifteen minutes to arrive at the restaurant where he worked. It was a chic place that served avant garde Japanese cuisine. He liked it a lot because unlike some of the more pretentious restaurants, the head chef stuck to traditional ingredients instead of all the rich stuff like caviar or foie gras. It certainly helped that he was good friends with all the wonderful staff that worked there.

There was something strange about it though; that would have to be the fact that Naruto could never remember the name of the restaurant no matter how hard he tried. He would read the sign, and immediately forget it the moment he walked in. Fortunately for him, his employers overlooked this.

Parking his car, he stepped out, and made his way in. His presence was alerted to the entire restaurant when the person at the front greeted him.

"Good morning, Naruto!" exclaimed Temari, offering him a wave as she smiled.

He did his best to match her smile. "Morning', Temari."

"How's it going?" she asked, canting her head a bit to the side.

"Oh, just the usual," he answered, the corner of his lips twitching ever so slightly as he tried to fake normalcy.

She looked at him for a second.

"Well, alright then. Get yourself familiarized with the main course today, and make sure to tell my brother to stop threatening the line cooks." She gestured over to the main hall.

"Alright," he said. "Take care, Temari."

"You too, Naruto."

Nodding his head, he then walked past her before making his way to the main hall. There, the head chef along with the restaurant manager were speaking to a line of waiters and waitresses. Shuffling beside one of them, Naruto managed to slip in without being noticed.

"Today's main course will be grilled octopus with a sweet miso sauce as the appetizer, seared mackerel with a garnish of spring cabbage puree, drizzled with a light soy reduction, and miso poached salmon in a light fish broth with spring vegetables as the two entrees," began Gaara, the head chef, making sure everyone had written what he had said down before continuing. "For dessert, we have a simple coffee jelly topped with whipped cream."

Naruto's stomach rumbled quietly—a reminder that he had not eaten breakfast.

He watched as Gaara's gazed turned from the line to him for a quick second; perhaps his rumbling stomach was not as quiet as he first thought.

"You may now all start your duties," stated Kankuro, adjusting his silk tie to emphasize his words. "Let's all work hard today!"

With that said, the line dispersed. Naruto followed suit, and began walking to his station only to stop when he heard Gaara call his name.

"Naruto."

He turned around. "Yes, chef?"

Gaara blinked a bit at the formality in Naruto's voice. "I was just wondering if you wanted to test out the dishes."

"Oh, sure," he replied with a shrug. "I have a question though?"

"Which is?"

"How come you always ask me to test out new dishes?" he asked. "You never ask anyone else."

"I've told you this multiple times, Naruto," stated Gaara plainly.

He lifted a brow. "You have?"

"Yes." Gaara nodded. "I've told you before that you have a very sophisticated palate, Naruto. You just always get me to repeat myself because you like being flattered."

"Heh." Naruto snorted softly as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. "Guilty."

"Yes, well, come with me," replied Gaara, the corners of his lips curving upwards to form a subtle smile that quickly vanished.

"Alright."

Following Gaara into the kitchen, Naruto was quickly seated at the counter in the center of the room. Within seconds, all the dishes that his friend had listed off earlier were placed in front of him. They all smelled absolutely amazing, and Naruto was sure that they would taste even more so; this was Gaara's cooking after-all—some of the best in the world.

"Enjoy." Gaara placed a pair of chopsticks in front of him before going to wipe his hands.

Naruto swallowed quietly in anticipation. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said as he took a seat opposite of him. "Tell me what you think about them once you finish."

"Alright," replied Naruto as he picked up the chopsticks.

Deciding to start off with the appetizer as that was things were done properly, Naruto brought the dish in front of him. Looking at it, he could see that the octopus was beautifully grilled, and that it was wonderfully plump and tender. Picking up a piece, he dipped it into the sweet miso sauce for taking a bite.

His eyes widened as he began chewing. A delectably crispy layer had developed from the fiery heat of the grill, creating a wonderful contrast to the delicate flesh underneath it; that part of it was so soft that he almost confused it for lobster. The sweet miso sauce was nothing to scoff at either. Its delicate sweetness and smoothness, and the umami it brought to the dish was the perfect compliment for the delicious octopus.

"How was the first dish?" asked Gaara, his voice carrying a bit of mirth to it.

"It's fantastic." Naruto slowly looked over at him. "Your food is amazing, just like always, Gaara."

"Try the next dish." He gestured towards the mackerel.

Naruto chuckled quietly. "I don't know if I'm ready for it."

"You'll be fine. It's just food." Gaara shrugged. "Now come on. We've only got a half hour until our first guests arrive."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

He quietly grumbled as he chunked off a small piece of mackerel, creating a wonderful crunching sound as his chopsticks broke through the perfectly crispy fish skin. Pausing to admire the overall presentation of the dish, he then picked up a puree, and spread it atop the glistening fish meat. Not only did it smell wonderful, but it also looked beautiful; the light green of the puree provided the perfect contrast to the brown mackerel meat. Placing the piece he had picked up into his mouth, Naruto felt the corners of his lips curve upwards instinctively as the pure taste of spring filled his palate.

"Woah." Naruto placed a hand over his mouth. "What's in this puree?"

"I added in a little bit of vinegar," answered Gaara. "Mackerel's a heavy fish. It needs something cut through the oily fat."

Naruto nodded his head as he swallowed. "That was really good."

"Hah." Gaara snorted. "Leave it to you to describe something like this with such simple words."

"Didn't you always say that simple was best?" he asked, lofting a brow.

"Only when it came to food."

Naruto chuckled quietly. "Alright. Next dish, right?"

Gaara nodded.

Cutting himself a piece of salmon from the next dish, Naruto managed to squeeze in a piece of bok choy between his chopsticks before taking a bite. Such wonderful texture and flavour; it was enough to elicit an appreciative hum from him. This was definitely his favourite by far. Just everything about it was perfect: the fish was marvellously cooked, the vegetables tender and flavourful, and the broth just wrapped everything up so nicely. The dish as a whole was warm and soothing—which was exactly what he needed at the moment.

So, he had a bit more of it, finishing off about half the plate before stopping. Placing his chopsticks down, he then slid the dish away.

"I like it," he stated quietly. "It's good."

Gaara lifted a brow. "Something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head. "It's nothing."

There was a moment of silence.

"You sure?" asked Gaara, pressing his lips together when he saw Naruto frown.

"Yeah. I'm sure," Naruto answered, sighing quietly before he turned his attention to the last dish on the table. "I'll just quickly sample that last one so I can start setting up my station.

He winced inwardly after he said that. It was not like him to brush Gaara off whenever he asked about him. Usually, he was much more open to discussing his problems; not just to Gaara, but pretty much to anyone else he was close to. This was not like him, and if he noticed—then so did his friend.

Gaara let out a quiet sigh before sliding a spoon over. "Okay. Enjoy."

Naruto nodded his head before picking up the spoon. Pressing the back of it against the coffee jelly, Naruto felt himself relax a bit as he played around with the bounciness of it for a few seconds. Slowly pressing the edge of the spoon against the jelly, he found some satisfaction as the jelly gave way, and sprung back up as it was cut into. Sometimes, one just had to play with their food; and with jelly, there is no real excuse not to.

Anyways... Getting some of it onto his spoon, he then took a bite.

It was refreshing. And it was a good way to end a meal after eating all those savoury dishes, he thought. He really liked how simple it was, just coffee jelly, and some whipped cream. It was a combination that worked both as a drink and as a dessert, but there was a bit more to it than just that. Licking his teeth, Naruto hummed quietly as he tried to figure out just where this delicious coffee had come from.

"I'm going to guess Portugal."

"Correct." Gaara offered him a smile.

"You always did like coffee from there the best," remarked Naruto as he took another bite.

"That is because they are the best."

"Some might argue."

"Then they are wrong."

Naruto chuckled before placing the spoon back down on the counter. "So, when are you ever going to make a ramen dish, huh?"

"This isn't a noodle bar, Naruto," he replied as he leaned forward, and placed his elbows on the table. "Plus, it'd take too long to make a broth good enough to fit my standards while also having to make other dishes."

"Yeah, yeah. You've told me that before." The blonde waved a dismissive hand.

"And yet, you still keep asking."

Naruto smiled softly. "A man can hope, right?"

"There shall be no hope in my kitchen; only cold, brutal efficiency, and delicious cooking," stated Gaara firmly.

"Oh, that reminds me," began Naruto. "Temari told me to tell you that you should stop threatening the line cooks."

Gaara groaned. "Ugh. It is not my fault that threatening them is the only way to get them to do what I want."

"You could always try asking nic—"

"No."

Naruto blinked once, twice, before shrugging. "Alright then."

Standing up from his seat, Naruto went over to wash his hands. Though he was generally lighthearted with most things in his life, hygiene was not one of them; he cleaned his hands properly. Drying them off with a paper towel, he then made his way to the door. Just as he was about to leave however, he stopped when Gaara spoke up.

"It's Sakura, isn't it?"

Naruto stiffened, prompting the redhead to narrow his eyes. Just what could have happened to turn his usually perky and cheerful friend this solemn and moody?

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't," he answered vaguely, turning his head to look at Gaara from the corner of his eye.

"It is," stated Gaara, sighing as he walked up behind him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto took in a shaky breath, his shoulders heaving a bit as he did so. "Look. I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Naruto," said Gaara reassuringly as he offered him an uncharacteristically friendly smile. "Just know that your fellow employees here at this restaurant have your back. Especially me."

Naruto slowly nodded and smiled back. "Thanks for that, Gaara."

He then cleared his throat.

"Well, I gotta go prep my tables," he said as he turned around so that he could get a more proper look at his friend. "I'll talk to you later."

"Take care, Naruto."

"See ya, Gaara."

Jogging over to his station, he quickly made sure that they were all prepped with the proper number of utensils and glasses. Having overstayed his little visit to the kitchen, he now paid for it by having to rush through everything; fortunately, he was an expert at this, so setting up was like second nature to him. Placing the last wine glass on the last table, Naruto let out a quiet breath. Now, all he had to do was wait for the first wave to arrive.

Great. Waiting. Maybe there was something he could do to distract himself—spoiler, there was not.

"Fucking fantastic..."

It certainly did not help that he had barely gotten any sleep the night before, so on top of his unpleasant thoughts, he was also mentally exhausted. The latter he could handle. As for the former... He would rather get hit by a car than deal with that.

Glancing out through the windows, Naruto gazed at the amazing scenery outside, and took note that it had just began to rain. It was an immense, sudden downpour, which was not all that uncommon in the region of Japan where he lived. While he hoped that they would not get as many typhoons this year as they did the last, he knew he was just kidding himself.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he concentrated on the quiet pitter patter of rain on the roof of the restaurant and on its windows, allowing it to lull him into a weak, meditative state. Today was just any other normal day, he thought. He would work hard, and he would make the guests smile. Maybe he would be able to cheer himself up by immersing himself in the happiness of others.

"Alright..."

Taking a deep breath, he then opened his eyes before exhaling. Whether he was actually or not, he told himself that he was ready; he was going to forget about everything, and just focus on creating the best dining experience he could possibly provide for everyone eating at the restaurant.

Now, he had just one question.

Who was he going to be serving first?

Just a few moments he asked himself that, he heard the front door open and close, followed up by Temari's usual enthusiastic greeting. Stretching his neck a bit and tilting his head, he tried to see who had just arrived. Usually the first guests would be sent over to his section because he was closer to the entrance. It also happened to be closest to the windows and the amazing view outside. Nothing like dining on amazing Japanese food whilst looking at an amazing garden where seasonal vegetables were grown—even if it was all covered in rain.

Narrowing his eyes, he managed to hear a bit of the conversation between Temari and the guests before they finally revealed themselves.

Naruto widened his eyes.

It was a family, but not just any family. No, no. It was probably the most important family he would ever serve in his career.

They were known for their immense wealth and staggering monopoly in the eyecare and eyewear industry in Japan, along with every other country in the Group of Seven. Not only were they famous for that, but they were also known for their bold, red eyes; traits that were entirely unique to them, that almost every member of their prestigious family had. They stood out quite a bit because of that, especially since most people in Japan simply had black hair and brown eyes.

He thought it made them look like vampires—especially with how pale they all were.

Naruto swallowed quietly in anticipation as Temari directed them over to his station. Their combined gaze was intimidating, especially as they all turned to look at him. Breathing as steadily as he could, he steeled his nerves before putting on the most welcoming smile he could muster.

It was not everyday that one got to serve the Uchiha.

He would do his best to impress.

And to hopefully forget in the process.


	2. A Rainy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back to the second chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux. So, we started the story off from Naruto's point of view. Now, we get to see what Sayuri has been going through. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as you did the last one. Onwards!

_It is not your fault._

That had been what her brother had told her in his note; the one that she found before him as he hanged from the ceiling.

It had been just a day like any other when she found his body, dangling casually from the ceiling by a leather belt. She knew that he was long gone by the time that she had entered the room, but she was unable to acknowledge that for the longest time; instead, she just stared, the whole world slowing down to a crawl when the weight of what she was looking at finally hit her. And when it did, all she could do was look on—holding in her words until they poured out from her.

_Itachi. No! No. No..._

No one should ever have to see one of their own flesh and blood like that. In the moment, she had wanted to vomit, to cry, and to die all at the same time. Anything would have been a better alternative. Anything.

_Lady Sayuri, what are you—... Oh..._

She could still remember how her hands had shook as she held them out towards her brother, too scared to actually touch him. She had wanted to pull him down, but in the end, she was not strong enough. It had been Kakashi that ended up having to do that while she had a breakdown in the next room. He noticed her parents immediately after, and they had come back as quickly as they could—just in time to see the EMTs close the doors on their ambulance.

The finality in the sound of the ambulance as it drove away would haunt her forever.

News of her brother's untimely passing was kept hidden from all media outlets; it would not do their reputation any favours if the whole world knew that the heir to the Uchiha throne had committed suicide.

Her parents had awkwardly tried to force normalcy into their lives for the next few days. Perhaps they did it for her, or just for themselves; she appreciated the effort, nonetheless. As she sat down at the dining table and ate with her family each night, she could imagine that instead of being dead, her brother was simply on another business trip. Then, she would go to bed early, so that she could tell herself in the morning that she had simply missed the call he would give to her each night, and that he would scold her about it when he came back.

That was how they, how she, coped.

She felt grateful that her parents had put an indefinite pause on all her responsibilities so that she could come to term with the news. It was not like them to be so lenient with her, but she guessed it was because they were just made aware of how overbearing they were sometimes—especially when it was because of their overbearing nature that led to her brother's death.

Sayuri, despite wanting to, could not blame them. She knew that this was the way that they had been raised; and that they knew no other way of how to raise children.

Eventually there came a point where she was able to be her rational self again. Or perhaps she was just so mentally drained that she could no longer spare the energy to cry or scream.

She hoped it was the former, but deep down, she knew it was the latter.

The funeral had been planned for a week after he died. During that week, time moved very slowly as preparations were made, and calls and messages were sent out. She had been kept in the dark for almost all of it, her parents trying to alleviate her stress in their own way; though truth be told, she wished that she had been involved. Frankly, she hated it. It was infuriating that despite the recent changes, she was still being treated the same.

Someone to be put on a pedestal; just a girl that was too frail to take of herself, and too weak to handle the difficult things herself.

She wanted to be strong for her family; strong like her brother was. If only her parents could give her the chance to make her own decisions instead of forcing her to always go along with what they thought was best for them. She loved them, she truly did, but as she spent that whole week along in her room thinking, it became painfully clear to her why her brother did what he did.

The drive to his funeral had been quiet and awkward, and the funeral itself even more so. It had been strange seeing so many people there that she had never met before, that she was sure Itachi had never met before, singing praises and 'mourning' her deceased brother. She wanted to lash out at them; they were not there for him, but for themselves—to keep up their appearances and to search for any new weaknesses in her family.

She hated them. They got all go rot in Hell.

Behind those false smiles of theirs, she knew that they were plotting the downfall of her parents' company. She could not blame them though; the empire business was the business for sociopaths, where the only thing that mattered was personal success. Now was the perfect time for them to try and topple her parents' company now they no longer had an heir.

Now that they only had an heiress.

Her fists clenched tightly as she saw the last of them leave in their limousines. They were at least respectful enough to hold their facades all the way until they disappeared from view—not that it made them anymore convincing.

Giving them one last look, she then turned her head back to look over at where her brother had been buried. Just as she did that, a droplet of water landed on her nose, prompting her to scrunch her face a bit. Just as that one droplet fell down from the sky, a thousand more came down, and soon it began to pour. For a few seconds, she just stood there, wide-eyed in surprise before she finally closed them, and reveled in the feeling of the rain falling over her. It did not matter to her in that moment that the black clothes she wore would get drenched.

It felt as if the universe was crying her own tears for her.

It was comforting.

"Lady Sayuri, you should get out of the rain. You might catch a cold."

She turned her head to look at her butler, Kakashi; he was a strange man that always wore a mask that her parents had hired to take care of her. Staring at him for a moment, she then nodded.

He took off his jacket before walking towards her and draping it over her shoulders. Placing a hand on her upper back, he began guiding her to their car where her parents were already waiting for her. They were both dressed in the same style of mourning clothes as her, which was not unlike the clothes that they wore regularly; some thought they were vampires for a reason.

Sayuri sighed quietly half-way there. "This is unnecessary."

"Not at all," he replied, offering her a smile. "This is all to protect your health."

"My health is fine, Kakashi," she retorted, keeping his jacket, but shaking his hand off her before she finished the walk to her parents without him.

Kakashi stood there for a moment as he looked over at his charge before sighing quietly and continued walking back to the car. He would let her mourn, he figured; it would be in his, and her best interest if he stayed quiet for a while.

Opening the doors for them all, he waited patiently for them to get into the car before entering the driver seat. Wrapping his hands around the wheel, he looked over at Sayuri's father before nodding, and starting the car. She watched Kakashi's face in the rear mirror, trying to see his hid deceit just like the faces of the other mourners had. She found none; thus, no words were exchanged as they left the cemetery—because none needed to be said.

Sayuri took a deep breath as she then leaned against her window. On her side, she could still see the place where they had picked out Itachi's grave. It was on top of a hill, framed by two trees, and his tombstone had been lavished with flowers. Against her character, she mouthed a silent goodbye before her brother's grave finally left her view.

Glancing over at her mother, they caught the other looking at each other at the exact same time. Sayuri pressed her lips together before she reached over to hold her mother's hand. Her mother responded by giving it a soft squeeze, and smiling. Doing her best to smile back, she turned her head back to look out the window.

The rain was unrelenting; the only thing she could hear besides the sound of cars driving past was the sound of it hitting the window. Perhaps she was wrong in her assumption that the universe crying for her because if it were, it would know that no true, prideful, Uchiha would cry as much as this.

Or... Perhaps this was her true nature; not the kind that belonged to any self-respecting Uchiha that she would know.

She bit her bottom lip at the thought.

Through the window, she watched silently as more cars and buildings began to appear as they entered the more urban part of the city. If she were to focus, she would be able to see pedestrians, walking with their umbrellas in one hand, and their phones in the other. She envied them in some way; they had something to focus on—she did not.

She needed a distraction. Something. Anything. Her eyes narrowed as they passed by a restaurant.

"I'm hungry."

It had not meant to come out so sudden, but it had come out that way, nonetheless. A quiet moment passed as everyone in the car took a few seconds to get out of their solemn stupor.

Mikoto was the first to speak.

"Where would you like to eat, dear?" she asked, her eyes full of pain, but her smile still retaining its softness. "There are many restaurants here, or would you like Kakashi to make something for you back at home?"

Sayuri paused briefly as she thought up her answer.

"Something warm." She eventually answered. "Something traditional."

Her mother nodded her head before looking over at Kakashi. "Would you know of a place that serves something like that?"

"I do," he replied, not looking at her as he answered lest he accidentally crash into something. "Would Lord Uchiha approve if I were to pick which restaurant to go to?"

"Yes." Fugaku nodded plainly.

"Yes, sir." Kakashi leaned forward so that he could glance up at the signs before turning the car at the next intersection.

She was not hungry, but she was aware of the wonderful distraction that good food provided, which was exactly what she needed at the moment. As her mind found itself on the topic of food, she found it wandering back to Itachi, and the question of what their last meal as a whole family had been. She wracked over it for a minute or two before eventually giving up when she realized that she had long forgotten.

It was discouraging to know that what had once been a trivial thing had now become something so important. For that saying about appreciating the small things in life now actually applying to her was humbling.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt the car slowly turn into a small parking lot. How long had they been driving for?

Noticing that she was still holding onto her mother's hand, she frowned softly before slowly letting it go as Kakashi turned off the car. Taking note of how empty and cold her hand now felt, she placed it on her lap before waiting for him to tell them all that it was okay to get out.

"Do you wish for me to accompany you three to the door?" he asked as he turned his head to look at his passengers.

Her father shook his head. "No. We'll figure it out ourselves."

"Ah. Alright then. Please take this umbrella with you then, Lord Uchiha," replied Kakashi as he reached into a compartment, and handed them said item.

"Thank you." Fugaku took the umbrella before stepping out.

Sayuri followed him, opening the car door before Kakashi could do it for her before getting out. She then immediately walked over to her father. Standing beside him, she waited a little bit before her mother joined them. As they walked, they could not help but notice that the umbrella was just a bit too small for all them; they managed, nonetheless.

"I'll wait here while you three eat," hollered Kakashi, prompting her father to look back, and nod.

"Do you want us to get something for you?" asked Mikoto, offering Kakashi a small smile, her kind spirit shining through.

"I am grateful for your offer, but no thank you," he answered, bowing his head politely.

Her mother's kindness made her feel a bit guilty at how rudely she had brushed Kakashi off earlier. The man was just trying after-all. Perhaps she should try saying something to tell him that she was not angry with him.

So, she cleared her throat quietly.

"Take care, Kakashi," she said, the dullness of her voice betraying the sincerity she had in those words.

Sayuri groaned inwardly at how cold she sounded; she had not meant to sound like that at all. However, it seemed Kakashi got her meaning because he smiled at her.

"Thank you. I hope you take care as well, Lady Sayuri," he said as he gave them a polite wave farewell.

With that said, Sayuri followed her father as he led them away from the car. The restaurant was not at all difficult to find as it was surrounded by a beautiful garden; a garden that she was sure would look even more beautiful without the rain. Perhaps she would come back one day when it was not raining to admire it. That would all depend on whether the restaurant had good food or not.

As they stepped in, Sayuri felt an immense wave of relief wash over her as the chill caused by the rain slowly seeped out of her due to the wonderful warmth inside the restaurant; she had no idea just how cold she had been. It was not only the sudden warmth though, but also the wonderful smell of food that wafted through the air that immediately made her feel less mournful.

"Good afternoon! Do you have a reserva—?!" began Temari, smiling as she bowed her head politely, only to pause when she saw who was standing before her.

"Good afternoon." Fugaku glanced down at the list of reservations in her hands. "I apologize, but we do not have a reservation, but if you could kindly seat us, I'll make sure to put in a good word for this restaurant."

Temari quickly recovered. "Of course. I'm sure I can arrange something."

She looked down, and glossed over the list. Humming softly, she widened her eyes when she saw that there was still one table left open for the afternoon; it was quite strange for the restaurant, but quite lucky for its unexpected guests.

"There's one table available, but it's close to the window. The sound of the rain might be a bit annoying," she said as she looked back up at them.

Fugaku opened his month to speak, but was interrupted as Sayuri spoke up first.

"That's fine," she said. "I'd prefer to look outside at the garden."

She then looked up at her father. "Would that be alright, Father?"

"Yes. It's fine." He glanced down at her before looking back up at Temari. "We'll take that table."

"Very good. Let me get that umbrella for you." She offered them a smile. "Please come with me. I am sure your lunch will be fantastic; you'll be seated at our best waiter's section."

Sayuri lifted a brow. "What's so special about him?"

"Let's just say that he is an exceptionally kind person with a passion for making people happy."

"I see..." Sayuri trailed off, her gaze turning away from the blonde woman to the front of her coat as she went to brush it straight with her hand.

She looked back up just in time to look in front of her as she rounded the corner, and lofted a brow when she saw who she assumed was to be waiting their table; a tall, somewhat tanned, blonde-haired man with blue eyes. He looked as if he had just stepped out of one of those magazines with the gruff, yet pretty, men on the cover. Though he did not look Japanese, he had some of the facial features of one. Perhaps he was mixed?

"This is Naruto. He will be your server today."

Sayuri nodded her head, not paying much attention to what Temari had to say in favour of studying the man further. There was just something off about that smile of his; it was as if he was just barely holding onto it. Strangely enough, she could tell that he was forcing that smile more for himself than for them. It felt wrong, she thought, for such a warm face to hold such an expression.

It intrigued her.

"Good afternoon. I am grateful to be serving you today," he greeted, bowing his head politely. "Please come with me to your table."

Her father nodded, prompting Naruto to guide them over to their spot by the window. As they sat down, Naruto placed down a set of menus in front of them before filling their cups with hot tea.

"Usually it's cold brewed, but I figured something hot would be better for the weather." Naruto offered them all a smile. "Would any of you be interested in the alcohol list this afternoon?"

"Yes, I would," answered Mikoto, returning the man's smile.

"I'll be back as quickly as I can then."

Despite herself, Sayuri found her gaze lingering on the server as he left. Forcing himself to look down at her menu, Sayuri glanced over it before deciding the most wholesome looking dish on the menu: the poached salmon. Looking up at her parents, she then quietly cleared her throat.

"I'm going to go wash my hands," she stated, prompting both her parents to look away from their own menus. "May one of you please order the salmon for me?"

"Sure." Her father nodded.

Standing up, she walked around a bit as she looked for the restroom. While this restaurant was far better lit than some of the more dark and pretentious ones that she had been in before, she still found herself lost. Sighing quietly, she looked around for a server to give her directions; it was just her luck that Naruto quickly came back into view with what appeared to be the drink menu that her mother had requested in hand.

"Excuse me."

Naruto looked at her. "Yes? What can I do for you?"

"May you please tell me where the restroom is?" she asked.

"Oh, from here, you just have to go through there, and then turn left. After that, walk a bit more, and then turn right," he answered, gesturing with his hand as he gave her directions.

Sayuri blinked. "Can you just take me there? I am not in the mood to remember so many directions."

Surprisingly enough, he did not seem taken aback by her rudeness. Instead, he smiled, this time a bit more genuinely than he had before when he had first greeted her, before nodding.

"Sure. Just come with me," he replied.

She nodded her head as she followed him.

He was a strange man for sure, he thought. Mysterious some how, and yet she could tell that he was a complete open book. She was sure by now that he was probably foreign born even though he had a Japanese first name; he had a slight accent, but he was still understandable. There was something odd about him though... And she knew exactly what it was.

That odd thing being that she was practically ogling him at this point. While it may not have been the right word to use, it was the only word that she could come up with to describe how she had been staring at him whenever he was in sight; she was even staring at him now on their way to the restroom!

Sayuri figured that it had been that forced smile of his from earlier that piqued her interest, leading to this strange behavior from her. It had taken time, but she finally realized just why that expression had captured her attention, and it was because it was the same one she had seen every time she looked at her own reflect in the mirror. It was almost... It was almost as if he felt, on some level, the same way as her.

Did he also lose someone recently?

She shook her head inwardly. It was not her business to think so much for the sake of someone that she did not know—someone that she would probably never meet again.

"Here's the restroom," said Naruto as he pointed over at a door. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to come find me."

"Sure." Sayuri gave him a nod.

She watched as he left to go back to deliver her mother the menu before stepping into the restroom. Once inside, she immediately walked over to the sink, and began washing her hands. It did not matter that the water was cold as all she needed to do at the moment was wash off the oily feeling from her hands. Despite her father being a complete germaphobe, she never really did buy into that washing the hands for two minutes in hot water scare; thirty seconds and some soap did the job just fine.

Looking up at herself in the mirror, Sayuri made a disapproving groan at the sight of her jet-black hair, now frizzy after drying from the rain. Sighing quietly, she pulled out a hairband from her purse, and tied her exceptionally long hair into a simple ponytail. She always did like having her hair up more, but her father always forced her to have her hair down during business meetings to emphasize her beauty.

Why she needed to emphasize besides her disinterest before her father's lecherous guests, she did not know; she did not want to know—she refused to.

Flattening out the front of her coat one last time, she then turned to leave. Making her way out of the restroom, she canted her head in the direction of where her table was... Just in time to catch Naruto's expression as he bumped into her, sending both of them onto the floor.

"Woa—!"

"Huh?!"

Both of them tumbled downward, him stumbling back onto his rear, and her being knocked onto her side. If one were to watch what happened, they would have seen a tall, broad shouldered blonde walk into a pale and slender woman, and send her flying. For Naruto, that would have been quite the funny scene if here not the one bumping into someone; and of course, that someone just had to be the heiress to one of the country's most prolific families.

Within seconds, he was back up, the surprised expression he had just a moment earlier replaced by one of concern as he looked down at who he had just bumped into.

"Are you alright?" he asked, frowning ashamedly as he knelt down to offer her a helping hand.

She groaned in response, her face scrunching up as she tried to process just what had happened to her.

"Well then," she finally remarked, forcing her eyes open as she slowly got up, stopping when Naruto's hand came into view.

Naruto did his best to offer the woman the most apologetic smile that he could muster. He must have been doing something wrong though because instead of accepting his hand, Sayuri turned her head down. Crap. Did he accidentally hurt her worse than he first thought he did?

Unbeknownst to him, she was blushing; mostly out of embarrassment for what had just happened.

He cleared his throat quietly. "Ummm... Sayuri, was it? Are you alright?"

"Yes... I'm fine," she replied, her breath hitching when their hands finally touched after she went to grab it so that he could help her up.

Once she was back on her feet, Naruto offered her a smile before immediately bowing his head as low as he could without looking stupid.

"I apologize for bumping into you."

"It's fine." Sayuri waved dismissively at him. "It's not like either of us could have prevented that from happening."

"Please, if there is anything I can do for you, I'll do it." He kept his head bowed; she did not need to see his face to know that he was being genuine.

Sayuri opened her mouth to say no, but closed it when she figured that she might as well make the best of his offer. She hummed quietly as she stood over Naruto, her hand unconsciously raising to support her chin as she thought about what the best thing would be to make him do. It did not take her long; she only had a question that she had wanted to ask him—the very same question that she had when she first saw him, but did not have the words for.

_Why is your smile so sad?_

Once again, she opened her mouth just to close it.

"No. It's fine," she assured, groaning inwardly at her own cowardice. "I'm going to head back to my table."

"S-Sure," he stammered his response before he stepped aside to allow her to pass.

As he walked back to her table, Sayuri once again had to flatten the front of her coat, and re-straighten her hair. While she may have looked a bit ruffled on the outside, she was even more so on the inside. It was not like her at all to hold back her words. Just where had her spine ran off to?

Sighing quietly, she rounded the corner, and arrived back at her table.

"What took you so long, dear?" asked Mikoto, nursing a new item: a hot cup of sake.

"It took me a while to find where I put my hairband," she lied, huffing in annoyance as she sat back down. "Did you order yet?"

Her mother nodded. "We did."

"Good." The corners of her lips curved upwards to form a subtle smile. "I'm starving."

Just a few minutes after she said that, Naruto came back with what they had ordered. It seemed their parents had forgoed the appetizer in favour of just having the entree; they had both gotten the mackerel. While it was annoying not getting to try out the octopus, she understood the need for a quick lunch. They had not planned to come here after-all.

Watching him place the dishes down in front of them, Sayuri took note that the smile Naruto had on his face now was just slightly less forced than the one he had when he first greeted him. She would never admit this to anyone, but she felt a tiny bit tingly on the inside at the possibility that she may have been the reason for his slight boost in happiness.

"I hope you all enjoy," said Naruto enthusiastically, his smile widening a tad before he pulled out a letter, and slid it towards her.

Sayuri lifted a brow at his actions.

Nodding his head, he took off before anyone at the table could ask him about the letter.

Looking down at it, Sayuri took note of its simple and unassuming appearance before sliding it into her coat pocket. As she did so, she could feel her parents stare at her curiously. While she understood their confusion, she decided to ignore them. So, huffing quietly, she turned her attention to the beautiful dish that she was about to have for lunch; picking up a spoon and a pair of chopsticks, she began to eat.

It was delicious. She had not expected it to, it being so fancy and all that, but it filled her with this warm feeling that she would usually only get from eating something nostalgic. She was right to have ordered this. It was exactly what she needed; something filling and warm to wash away the emptiness and cold. As she quietly ate, she could not help but to wonder if Naruto would also feel better if he got to eat something like this.

Perhaps it was how good the food was, but in the moment, she did not care how odd that last thought was.

The rest of the meal by quietly, the only sound being the soft pitter-patter of the rain against the window, and the footsteps of the servers as more and more diners arrived. She needed more moments like this, where she could just have some time to just enjoy herself without needing to worry about what had to come next. Maybe she would come back here every once in a while, during better times, she thought.

For now, she would just focus on enjoying herself...

"Thank you for coming!"

Saying their own farewells to Temari, Sayuri followed her parents as they left through the door. As it closed behind them, she turned her head to look back into the restaurant. Just as she did that, she was able to catch a glimpse of Naruto as he talked to another group of people. There it was again; that forced smile of his—it pissed her off just seeing it.

Then he looked up, and his gaze met hers. She would usually feel embarrassment at being caught staring, but for some reason, she did not—not this time.

As they looked at each other, she saw Naruto's smile widen just a tad for a brief moment. Unconsciously, her hand went to the pocket where she had put his letter before she finally turned to leave.

She would read it when she got home. She had a feeling that whatever was in it would help cheer her up even further, and that it would probably have something to do with Naruto.

That thought brought forth a soft warmth inside of her chest.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked back one last time.

"Hmm..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading the second chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux. I hope you all enjoyed! Please favourite, follow, and review. Feedback keeps me alive during these trying times!


	3. A Return Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back, folks, to the third chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux! Let us continue to hope and pray that this re-write leads to me actually finishing the story because I would feel like a total asshole if I ended up abandoning it again. Truth be told, I think what keeps me so invested in this story is how I have written Sayuri. It is hard to explain her character, but I think that is what makes her realistic; she is conflicted and complex.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy—like always.

_Dear Sayuri Uchiha,_

_I am so, so sorry for bumping into you. I heard about what happened from your father, and I want to extend my apologies for what you are going through. I really hope you do not see my inability to watch where I am going as a detriment to the restaurant. Like, please, Gaara would turn me into mincemeat if he knew what happened. Plus, there would be Temari and Kankuro... Well, at this point, I'm sort of just rambling onto a piece of paper, so I will try to make the next part more concise. It was a pleasure serving you and your family, so please do come back to the restaurant, and please do accept my heartfelt apology for bumping into you._

_Sincerely, Naruto Uzumaki_

_P. S. If you enjoyed the salmon, please make sure to come back before spring ends! It is a seasonal item after-all!_

Sayuri read the letter over for must have been the dozenth time that day. It was crumpled a bit at this point from her frequent unfolding and re-folding, but it read just the same as it had during the first time. What he had written in his oddly endearing handwriting was comforting, and provided a much needed distraction from the long and awkward pauses that now filled her day; it helped her to also keep calm in the face of the upcoming storm that she knew was going to happen—one that involves her parents and her future.

Sighing quietly, she flicked the letter straight, and reread it. At first glance, she had thought that it looked like super cheesy, but the words he wrote down were genuine; and that was the part that mattered to her.

The best part of it was, strangely enough, the little smiley face he wrote down next to his name. She thought it was cute—actually, it was adorable.

The corners of her lips curved upwards into a small smile. She was pretty sure that the man was older than her; it was funny because she had stopped drawing such things on anything she wrote on when she became a teenager. To know that he still did... Or perhaps it was just for her?

That thought made her blush. It was unlike an Uchiha to blu—

Sayuri narrowed her eyes when she heard a set of footsteps outside her room. Quickly tucking Naruto's letter away, she then resumed doing what she had been before—which was playing the piano. Placing the tips of her fingers back down on the ivory keys before her, she played a few soft notes before continuing with her daily practices. She would have liked to have said that she was the best in the family, but that was not true; her mother was much more talented than she was.

She stopped playing when she heard someone knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Kakashi stepped in.

"I've come with your morning snack," he stated, bowing gracefully as he held up a single serving of mont blanc.

She spared him a glance. "Please put it on my table."

"As you wish." He nodded before he proceeded to do just that.

Placing down at fork as well, Kakashi then turned to look at her. "If I may remark on something, Lady Sayuri..."

"Hm?" She hummed inquisitively. "What is it?"

"If it would provide a boost to your mood, I must say, your piano playing skills have increased dramatically over the past week," he answered, providing her a slight head-tilt and a smile.

She let out a soft snort. "Yes, well, I am bound to improve at the things I put in practice for."

"Yes, that is true, but I meant something a bit different," he replied, prompting her to lift a brow. "There is something deeper to it. Dare I say that you've started putting in a bit more emotion into your playing?"

"An interesting observation." Sayuri pressed her lips together. "However, I did not give you permission to dive any deeper than just that first compliment."

His smile did not falter. "My deepest apologies, Lady Sayuri."

"Hn." She grunted in response.

There was a slight pause before Kakashi spoke up.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked.

She hummed softly, raising a dainty hand to her cheek as she took a second to think of her response. There was really only one thing that she wanted, but she was not so sure that her parents would allow it. Though then again, surely her parents were much too busy right now to notice her absence for a few hours, right?

After a moment, Sayuri parted her lips to speak. "Do you remember that restaurant my family and I ate at after the funeral?"

"I do." Kakashi nodded. "Would you like for me to make you a reservation there?"

"Yes. See if you can fit me in for lunch. If not, try for dinner," she said in response, glancing down at the piano keys as she brushed her fingers over a few of them.

"Just you, Lady Sayuri?"

She nodded. "Just me."

"Very well," he acknowledged, bowing before headed for the door. "I'll make the call at once."

"Wait."

He turned his head. "Yes, Lady Sayuri?"

"Try getting me seated at the table by the windows—like last time," she replied, gesturing lazily with her hand. "I wish to dine whilst looking out at the garden; this time when it is not covered in rain."

"Very well," he stated, nodding his head.

With that said, he left through the door before closing it, leaving her once alone in her room once again.

For a few seconds, she glanced at it before finally turning her attention to the mont blanc that Kakashi had made for her. Sliding off her seat, she put her slippers back on before making her way to the table. Picking it up, she then walked over her bed. She knew that if her parents found out that she had decided to eat on her super expensive bed that they bought, they would flip; good thing she was a clean eater—and that she did not particularly care.

Sitting down, she placed the plate on her lap before using the fork to cut off a piece; without further ado, she took a bite.

It was good. The chestnut puree was light sweet, which was perfect for her because she was not a fan of anything too sugary. It seemed that Kakashi had also added a pinch of matcha powder into the puree, making the flavour something much more complex—a perfect topping for the fluffy cake underneath.

Kakashi always did pride himself in his ability to make desserts. Behind that masked, overly casual facade of his, he was a proud baker; she was sure of it.

Slipping her feet out of her slippers, Sayuri flung her legs up onto the bed before scooting back so that she could lean against the headboard. With a quiet sigh, she took another bite of mont blanc as she gazed over at the large mirror by her dresser where she saw her own reflection staring back at her. She felt strange as she watched herself; every movement was so graceful, so precise—so forced.

She felt as if everything she did was trained into her; everything she did, said, and wore.

it was... Disconcerting.

Sayuri licked her fork, her eyes narrowing as the question of what she would wear to the restaurant came to mind. It would not do well for the Uchiha image if she were to appear in public wearing something unfitting for her family's high status. While she did not want to draw attention, she still wanted to avoid the stereotype of the rich and famous trying to hide by wearing a scarf, hat, and sunglasses. Especially since it would have been stupid wear any of those things with the current weather.

Placing the half-finished mont blanc on her nightstand, she slid off her bed before walking over to her dresser. Opening it up, she hummed softly as she looked down at the stacks of perfectly folded articles of clothing. She preferred plain colours or no colours at all; white, black, and perhaps some grey was what she liked to wear.

Sadly, her mother was the opposite; she loved stuffing her into blue dresses or red blouses. A bit of colour to bring out her Uchiha eyes, she always said to her.

Even worse was when she had to wear the more scandalous outfits she had in front of her father's disgusting guests. Being an heiress, she knew the powers of sexual appeal more than most and understood why her father used it, but...

Frowning, she began to strip, tossing away her nightgown before pulling out a simple, dark-grey, turtleneck sweater, and a pair of black leggings. As she stood before the mirror, she slowly struck a modest pose. Even in the most casual of clothes, she still looked wonderful. While she may not have been as vain as her mother, she still took great pride in her beauty. With her pale skin and long, silky, jet-black hair, she would have made for quite the beautiful, traditional bride if she wanted to.

Hah. That was a laughable concept. Her, a traditional bride; it was an impossible image. If she were ever to get married, she would make sure that she held all the power in the relationship.

Patting the sweater down to flatten it against her chest and stomach, she then swiveled a bit, and took a moment to admire her profile. To most, she was this quiet, porcelain doll with a personality like that of an angel. If only they knew just how haughty, prideful, and terrible she was when she was all alone. It was only Kakashi and Itachi that knew this side of her. In her parents' mind, she was still their perfect girl; a powerful asset to be married off because everyone wanted her.

Sayuri pressed her lips together as thoughts of her brother once again entered her mind. Unlike herself, he actually was a perfect child; he was effortlessly humble, infectiously genuine, and capable of getting anyone to warm up to him despite the intimidating gaze of his red eyes. He made her feel comfortable with herself, placating her concerns with parts of her own personality—the side of it that she never showed her parents.

Sometimes she hated herself for not speaking to him more. She had always thought that she would have more time...

She swallowed quietly as her gaze trailed away from the mirror over towards a wall in the direction of where Itachi's room was. Sayuri wondered what her parents would do with it. Perhaps it would be converted into a shrine for her late brother, or maybe kept as is.

Sighing quietly, she raised a hand, and rubbed her forehead in an attempt to clear her mind.

Waltzing back over to her bed, she sat down once more, and finished off the rest of her mont blanc before leaving the empty plate on her nightstand. She would let Kakashi take it away later when he came back. He would not be long, she thought, as if he would have probably phoned in by now and made a reservation for her. She was not at all worried about not getting a table; she was an Uchiha after-all. Just her family name was able to get her into the most prestigious of places—she was sure that the restaurant that Naruto worked at would be no different.

Glancing over at her clock, she smiled in anticipation. It was almost lunch; her would not be for much longer.

As she predicted, not an hour later, Kakashi knocked at her door once more. By then, she had already finished up with her make-up and her hair; she kept the former simple, and the latter simpler by putting it into a ponytail. For finishing touches, she replaced her contacts with a pair of glasses.

"Come in," she stated, straightening her posture a bit as she sat on her bed.

The door opened, and Kakashi walked in.

"Well?"

"I got you fitted in during lunch at the table by the windows just like you wanted," he answered, bowing politely. "If you would come with me, I can drive you there."

Nodding her head, she stood up. "Alright."

As she followed Kakashi through the halls of her parents' modern mansion, Sayuri glanced out through the windows at their garden. It was a minimalist garden, one copied from the western aesthetic that her parents loved so much; personally, she found that it lacked spirit. In fact, she much preferred the traditional garden at the restaurant that Naruto worked at with its wonderfully arranged bamboo and cherry blossom trees. Today was a lot sunnier than it was a week ago, and she hoped it stayed that way; carrying an umbrella was annoying, and she much preferred warm weather.

"Since it will only be the two of us, I shall forgo anything too... Posh," he stated as he opened the door to the garage. "Unless you want me to, Lady Sayuri."

"Pick the one you wish to drive." She shrugged. "The interiors are all leather anyways. I could care less about what it looks like on the outside."

"Oh?" Kakashi lifted a brow.

"Oh what?" Sayuri crossed her arms.

He looked at her for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. "Nothing. Nothing at all, Lady Sayuri."

"Hmph." She grunted quietly, her posture tightening as she watched Kakashi walk over to where they kept the keys.

The most prized car that they actually drove was the Lexus LFA Nurburgring. If one were to ask her real opinion of it, she would have said that it had the ugliest name out of all the ones that they owned. Not only was the name ugly, but she found its aesthetics unappealing.

Her father was addicted to fast things though, so she would not bother him about it.

She narrowed her eyes when she saw Kakashi's hand hover over the keys to her father's most prized cars. She stopped though when he moved past it to another set of keys, the ones that belonged to the dark-blue Lexus LS that they owned. Sayuri liked that car much more, but only because of its appearance; if anyone were to ask her how cars worked, she would be at a complete loss.

She would never admit that though.

It was a good thing that no one ever asked her about cars; they just showed them off to her.

"Would you like to sit in the front or the back, Lady Sayuri?"

"The front," she answered as she walked over to the car.

Looking down at the hood, she paused when she saw her own darkened reflection in it. While it was unlike her to be poetic, she could not help but to think that this alternate version of herself that was staring back at her was her true self, and that the one currently standing was a fake. Even now, she was acting; it was a cycle that she did not know how to break—or knew if she even wanted to.

She traced her hand along the edge of it, prompting Kakashi to sigh quietly.

"What?" she asked.

"If you are done admiring yourself, Lady Sayuri, we can get going," he replied, smiling at her.

She let out a snort. "Let's get going then."

He bowed his head before moving over to open the door the passenger seat.

"Climb in."

Nodding, she complied, and slipped into the car. With her petite frame, the seat was just a tad bit too big for her, but she did not mind. It was nice to know that if she wanted to, she could tuck her legs in, and sit in a more obscure manner. Even if it did nothing to actually hide her from the world, it was nice to sometimes be... Small.

The car shifted a bit as Kakashi got in, prompting Sayuri to turn her head to look at him.

"For such a lithe man, you sure do carry a lot of weight," she remarked with a smirk.

"I assure you, Lady Sayuri, that it is all muscle," he replied, eliciting a quiet chuckle from her.

Her smirk slowly transformed into a small, genuine smile. "I like you much better when my parents aren't around."

"I could say the same for you," he retorted, returning the smile.

"Yes, well, it gets quite exhausting playing the part of the perfect, little girl all the time," she said, pausing as she let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Sometimes it is too much... Sometimes, I can see why Itachi did what he did. Maybe he had something that exhausted him as well..."

"It is not my place to remark on such controversial matters as just your butler," replied Kakashi, his hands kept firmly on the wheel as the garage door opened.

Sayuri snorted. "You only say that when the topic makes you uncomfortable."

"I do," he admitted, exhaling quietly as he drove the car out of the driveway onto the road.

"I see..." She trailed off as she turned her head to look out the window.

A few moments of silence passed by as Kakashi drove her to the restaurant. She watched as the view became more and more urban, a sign that they once again entering the city. Sayuri liked the city. From her perspective, urban life looked a lot more exciting than it was being placed on a pedestal and confined to the mansion, only ever being brought out when parents needed her to be; it just seemed like everyone out there had a purpose, something they could work on—unlike herself.

She was very fortunate that Kakashi was willing to sneak her out sometimes.

"Was the food that good?" asked Kakashi, prompting him to look at him from the corner of her eye. "You don't usually sneak out just to eat somewhere."

Sayuri shrugged. "It was."

"Ah. I see," he replied with a smile. "Not better than the food I make though, right?"

She suppressed a snort. It was always obvious when Kakashi wanted to be complimented.

"No one can beat your desserts, Kakashi, but your other dishes still leave something to be desired." She smirked a bit as she watched Kakashi's ego visibly deflate.

"I will gratefully take in all the constructive criticism that you are willing to give me, Lady Sayuri," he responded as he stopped at a light.

"I've none to give right now," she stated, giggling as she saw his eyebrow twitch.

Kakashi forced a smile. "Most unfortunate. I would have loved to have been able to make you and your family better food."

"Maybe I'll have some later." Sayuri looked back out the window.

The car started up again as the light turned green.

"I look forward to it."

Another moment of silence passed as the two continued their way towards the restaurant, during which Sayuri spent the entirety of staring out the window. Despite just being a window, it felt like a portal to her; one that she could look through to see all the other aspects of her country that she was missing out on. Behind it was a world where businessmen walked by cafes run by women in maid outfits wearing cat ears. It was both strange and interesting—the maids more so than the businessmen.

When did that stuff even get popular?

"So, how did you know about the restaurant?" she asked.

"I've eaten there before." He shrugged.

She lifted a brow. "Really? I didn't think you would have the time to eat there."

"Not the usual hours, no."

"How then?"

"I've a family friend that works there," Kakashi answered, glancing up at the rear-view mirror for a second before looking back down in front of him. "He got to bring a friend in after hours as part of some staff celebration. He chose me."

"He works at the restaurant, huh?" Sayuri's interest was piqued. "What's his name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

She tried her best to keep nonchalant after hearing that. "I see... Does he work in the kitchen?"

"No. He's a waiter."

"Just like you, huh?" she remarked with a smirk.

"I would like to think that I'm a bit more experienced since I am a butler, but sure," he agreed jokingly.

Sayuri offered him a chuckle. "So, what does he look like, huh?"

"I'm sure you saw him when you ate there before. Blonde hair, blue eyes, just a bit shorter than me; looks like a complete brat," answered Kakashi, snorting softly at his own words.

"I'm sure he isn't that bad."

"Maybe not." He shrugged. "If he were that bad, I doubt he would have been able to last in a relationship long enough to propose to her."

Sayuri blinked.

"I wonder what happened... I haven't heard from him in a few days..." murmured Kakashi. "I wonder if it went well."

"Best of luck to him, I guess," she said, turning her attention back to the window once more.

Kakashi nodded. "Yep."

They drove for a few more minutes until Kakashi rolled into the parking lot for the restaurant. Finding a spot was easy enough, considering that the restaurant had its own lot with more than enough spaces for both its diners and its staff.

"We're here," stated Kakashi, turning to look at her once he stopped the car.

"Are you going to stay here and wait for me?" she asked, glancing at him.

He shrugged. "I can wait."

"Thanks." She nodded at him before she got out of the car. "Take care."

"I'll see you later."

Nodding once more, she then walked off towards the restaurant. As she got closer, she noticed that the front of it looked much more elegant now that it was not being pelted by rain; it was pretty enough that she allowed herself a brief moment to admire it before opening the door, and walking in.

"Good afternoon!" greeted the woman at the front desk with a polite bow.

Sayuri took note that the woman's dirty-blonde hair was as frizzy as ever. What was her name again?

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she looked for a nametag. Temari. That was what it was.

"Good afternoon," she replied, offering the woman a polite smile. "I have a reservation under Uchiha."

"Ah, yes." Temari smiled. "I'll have you seated at once."

Sayuri nodded, prompting the blonde woman to step out from behind the desk and gesture for her to follow her.

"Right this way."

Following Temari, Sayuri looked around for Naruto. She would never admit to herself that she was actively seeking him out, but she knew. Deep down, she knew. The food, while good, was only half the reason why she had wanted to dine at the restaurant a second time; getting the chance to speak to Naruto again was the other. Honestly, she just really wanted to have a chance to respond to his letter, and that was it. At least, that was what she told herself.

"Hmm." Temari hummed quietly. "Naruto should be here somewhe—!"

She was interrupted as they rounded the corner at the exact same time that Naruto did. The sound of shuffling feet quickly filled the room, followed up by several yelps of surprise as he swiveled wildly to avoid pouring the dishes that he had been carrying all over the both of them It was truly an amazing display of acrobatics; however, in that moment, Sayuri was too afraid of having hot food splashed all over her to notice it.

Sayuri would never admit it, but she had been the one who yelped the loudest.

"Woah! Sorry, Temari," apologized Naruto, chuckling nervously, stopping when he saw Sayuri. "Apologies to you too. That was pretty lucky, huh?"

She re-adjusted her glasses. "Good thing you did not bump into me a second time."

"Oh, yeah. That would have been awful," he replied, offering her an apologetic smile. "Welcome back by the way. Also, nice glasses. You're here for the salmon dish again, right?"

"Among other things," she answered vaguely with a shrug, glancing away in slight embarrassment from his casual compliment.

"Well, disaster avoided." Temari let out a relieved sigh. "When you're done dropping off those dishes, make sure to get her seated."

"Alrighty." He nodded at her before looking back at Sayuri and smiling. "Would you be alright waiting here, or would you like to follow me?"

To her pleasant surprise, it seemed that Naruto's mood had improved a little during the week. While the tone of his voice had become more light-hearted and casual, his smile had still yet to reach his eyes. Looking at his face now, Sayuri thought back to the conversation she had with Kakashi back in the car.

Had his proposal been rejected?

Was that the reason for Naruto's sadness?

Sayuri eventually shrugged. "I'll follow. Please lead the way."

"Alright then," said Naruto before he looked over at Temari. "I'll handle it from here."

"Take care, Naruto," she replied, offering them both a smile before she turned to go back to the desk, leaving the two of them standing in the middle of the dining hall.

Naruto looked at Sayuri. "I better get these dishes to their table before they get cold."

"Good idea."

As the two of them walked around the dining room, Sayuri could not help but notice just how much Naruto was carrying; two trays stacked high with food and drink. She had no idea just how heavy that all was, but she was still very impressed, especially since Naruto did not seem to be hindered at all as he walked quickly and gracefully through the restaurant.

In no time at all, they were at the table that he was tending to. Once there, she took note of the people that he was serving. It was a group of businessmen wearing fairly expensive suits. Each one of them had their hair slicked back with far too gel; it did not help that they all seemed to be balding to some degree. Her opinion of them was that they looked like a bunch of creepy, old men—especially when they began leering at her.

"Here you go!" exclaimed Naruto, drawing their attention as he placed their food down. "I hope you all enjoy!"

They muttered their thanks before waving them off.

"Alright. Let's get you seated, Sayuri." He looked to her and smiled.

She nodded in response.

"I'm really glad that you came back," admitted Naruto as he guided her over to an empty table by the window; it would become her regular spot—she just did not know it yet.

"Oh?" Sayuri lifted a brow.

He nodded his head as he placed the menu in front of her. "Yeah. I always get worried when someone comes into the restaurant in a bad mood or after something bad happened. It sort of puts me at peace to know that they're doing better after a while, you know?"

"No. Not really." She shrugged. "Don't you think it's a bit strange to worry so much about strangers?"

"Not at all." The corner of Naruto's lips curved upwards to form a genuine, albeit small, smile.

"You're too sympathetic," said Sayuri bluntly as she lazily raised a hand to rest her chin on.

He shrugged. "Maybe, but that won't stop me from doing my best to make everyone happy."

Sayuri stared at him, hiding the slight warmth she felt upon hearing his words by forcing a bored expression. Really, who was this guy to believe that he could actually accomplish that?

She liked his conviction though—even if it was misplaced.

"So, Sayuri, may I interest you in the alcohol list?" he asked.

"Trying to get me drunk already?" She snorted.

Naruto shook her head. "Not at all. It's just routine for me to ask."

"Hmm..." She hummed softly before letting out a quiet sigh. "Sadly, I'm underage..."

"Oh?" He blinked. "When's your birthday?"

"I turn twenty in July," she answered.

"You're just a few months off." Naruto smiled reassuringly at her. "If you did want to order some, we'll just keep it between just the two of us. Hush hush and all that."

That smile was dangerous, she thought. It was fairly illegal for someone her age to drink alcohol, let alone order it on her own at a restaurant. This just strengthened her theory that he was foreign born; if he had really been born in Japan, she was sure that he would have been a much bigger stickler for rules—like she was.

She was curious about what alcohol tasted like though. Her parents had never let her; not even on New Years.

Drinking for the first time at this restaurant seemed safe enough. Plus, Kakashi was outside waiting for her. There was no harm to it, she reasoned as she parted her lips to speak.

"Well..." Sayuri trailed off. "Alright. Sure. What would you recommend then?"

"To go with the salmon?"

She nodded.

"Have you ever had hot sake before?" he asked, canting his head to one side, causing a few locks of his blonde hair to fall over one of his eyes.

Sayuri unconsciously licked her lips. "No. Have you?"

"I have." Naruto nodded. "We have one that when had hot pairs wonderfully with the salmon. Our head chef picked it out himself."

"That sounds good." Sayuri glanced down at the menu before looking up at him. "I'll have that with the salmon then."

"Alright!" He offered her a smile before bowing his head. "I'll be right back!"

With that said, he took the menu and walked off, leaving her alone at the table. Her eyes followed him as he left before she turned her gaze to the window once he was out of sight. She smirked when she saw the garden because like always, she was right; the view was much more beautiful now that it was not pouring rain outside. Indeed, the garden was at its best when it had the sun shining down on it.

She lost track of time as she admired the view; it was just so... Breathtaking.

"Enjoying the view?"

Sayuri quickly turned her head to see who had spoken to her. She relaxed when she saw that it was Naruto.

"Yes," she answered, glancing up at his handsome face before looking down at the tray he was holding. "Is that it?"

"Your hot sake." He nodded as he placed the small flask down along with a saucer. "I hope you enjoy."

She paused. "I've never had sake before. I'm not so sure how you're supposed to..."

"Well, let me help you then." He reached for the flask. "Mind if I pour some for you?"

Sayuri shrugged. "Not at all."

Offering her a smile, Naruto then reached over and picked up the flask with both hands. Slowly, gently, he began to pour some sake into her saucer; his movements were slow and controlled, and he finished it up with a small flourish at the end. Oddly enough, he reminded her of a housewife. Perhaps if his hair was longer and his jaw was less chiseled, it would have made for a more convincing comparison.

It also reminded her of when she had to pour sake out for her father's guests. Naruto's smile while doing it was genuine though—unlike her own whenever she did it.

"What I usually do when I drink hot sake is I first take in its aroma," he explained as he slid the saucer in front of her. "My grandpa taught me to do that."

"Your grandpa?" asked Sayuri, blinking a few times as the gentle steam began fogging up her glasses.

He nodded. "Mhm. He was a big drinker. So was my grandma."

"Are you also a big drinker?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. I'm more of a social drinker. I don't ever drink without friends."

"Would you consider me a friend?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"I would. I do," he answered without hesitation, his smile widening a tad.

"Then why don't you share a drink with me then?" She did her best to return the smile, though hers was nowhere near as radiant.

He let out a quiet chuckle as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Gee. I don't know about that, Sayuri. It'd be bad for me to drink on a job, you know?"

"Didn't you say that we could just keep this between us? Hush hush and all that?" she retorted, her smile quickly turning into a smirk. "Or did I mishear that?"

"You got me there." Naruto grinned. "Sure, Sayuri, I'll share a drink with you. Just let me ask my boss first."

"What happened to this being just between us, huh?" She folded her arms. "Just drop my family name and they'll beg you to have a drink with me."

"That would be unfair to the other diners though."

She huffed. "So?"

"Well, I like being as fair as possible," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Sayuri let out a snort. "The world isn't fair. I don't see why you have to be."

"Might as well make it as fair as possible then, right?"

He had a point.

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "Go. Before the sake gets cold."

Naruto nodded his head. "I'll be quick."

"You'd better..."

True to his word, Naruto did indeed return quickly. It had taken him less than a minute to rush back to the kitchen, get Kankuro's approval, and then rush back with a saucer of his own in hand; he had even brought her the octopus appetizer that she missed the last time she had eaten here. Upon seeing him, Sayuri could not help but to loft a brow at how enthusiastic he seemed.

"Well?"

He gave her a thumbs up after placing her dish down. "Just one drink. I can't work while being tipsy."

"Fair enough," she replied before she glanced over at the flask. "Do I pour for you or do you pour for yourself since you are the server?"

"I'll pour for myself," he answered.

Sayuri shook her head. "No. Since you poured for me, it's only fair that I pour for you."

"Oh. Alright." He blinked confusedly.

Offering him a nod, she then picked up the flask with both hands just like he had. The heat surprised her, but she still managed to get it above his saucer without spilling any. Then, taking a deep breath, she began to pour. Since it was hot, she was not nearly as graceful as she usually was, but she was decent; nowhere near as good as he was though. She was not bothered by that though. She just hoped that she did not have a stupid look on her face after doing all that.

"Do you usually do these kinds of things for people or am I special?" asked Naruto, prompting her to look up at him.

She shrugged a shoulder. "Hm. Consider yourself special. I usually only do these things when I'm forced to by my parents."

"Well then," he began, his smile widening into a toothsome grin. "To think that I'd have a member of the prestigious Uchiha family pouring me a drink today. I'm either the most special guy in the world or all of this is a dream!"

Sayuri could not help but to smile. "I'd pinch you, but I don't touch people I just met."

"Aww, come on. At this point, we've known each other for a solid thirty minutes. A week on top of that if you count that day I gave you the letter," he teased.

"That day when you bumped into me." She smirked.

Naruto let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, yeah. Right."

"Still, we haven't even introduced ourselves to each other yet," she reminded. "We may know each other's names, but we're still somewhat strangers."

He hummed softly. "Hmm. I guess you're right."

Naruto then cleared his throat.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Pleased to meet you!" he exclaimed as he raised his saucer.

She snorted at his enthusiasm as she did the same. "Sayuri Uchiha."

With that said, she followed his lead, and moved her hand forward to tap his saucer with her own. No more words were exchanged as they both proceeded to tip their saucers back, and drink.

"Huh..."

The sake was lightly fruity and had this sweetness to it that reminded her of sticky rice. What she paid attention to the most though was the warmth that quickly spread throughout her body the moment she swallowed. Such a feeling was nearly indescribable; she could only compare it to climbing into a warm bed on an exceptionally cold day. So enthralled was she by that pleasant sensation that she did not even notice that she was staring at her empty saucer until she let out a quiet hiccup.

She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she blushed.

"You didn't hear that." Sayuri narrowed her eyes as she watched Naruto smile.

"Oh, but I did," he replied, chuckling quietly as she glared at him.

"You do know who you're speaking to, right?" she asked. "I could ruin you, you know."

Naruto nodded, his smile widening. "I do. I don't care though. Everyone deserves to get teased every now and again."

Huh. She had not been thinking about it, but hearing those words from him, she could not help but wonder. Was this what it was like to be treated like a normal person?

It was a comforting thought—to be treated like everyone else. Compared to the ways that she was treated as her father's daughter, it was refreshing to be able to hold a normal conversation without worrying about having to act unlike herself or uphold some sort of image...

Wait.

She had been acting like herself this entire time, and she had not even realized it. Somehow, between the time she had first come into the restaurant and the conversation they were having now, she had dropped her quiet, cutesy facade she used with her father's guests or at public events. Instead, she was now speaking to him with the same kind of snark she only ever allowed herself to use with Kakashi. And that was only because she had known him for almost as long as she had known Itachi.

Strangely enough, Naruto seemed to like her regardless; and she could tell he was being genuine. It was... Baffling.

It filled her with a feeling that she could not put her finger on; perhaps it was hope?

"Say... Naruto," she began, looking down at her saucer as she spoke. "Would you be opposed to me coming to this restaurant more often?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, Sayuri. I'd be glad to see you around more."

She looked back up at him and nodded.

"Good."

She then smiled.

"You'll be seeing a lot more of me from now on."

Naruto returned the smile.

"I look forward to it."

He then gestured over to her empty saucer.

"More sake?"

She snorted softly; her smile remained.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Is it not sad that Sayuri feels the need to hide her real personality despite it being closer to a normal person than her fake one?
> 
> While we have not actually seen her put on her facade to its full extent yet, there will come a time in the future where it plays a part in how her relationship with Naruto develops. Whether that is a good development or a bad one shall be written in the future.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Please favourite, follow, and review! I love feedback!


	4. An Awkward Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back, folks, to the third chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux. It is with great pleasure that I present to you an awkward visit from Sakura and some more cutesy moments between Naruto and Sayuri. I hope you all enjoy.

He slammed his hand down onto the alarm clock as it woke him up, a whole hour earlier than usual.

The reason for that?

Well...

She was coming back—to pick up her stuff.

While he was normally a morning person, he found himself hating the act of waking up more and more ever since that day a few weeks ago. He hated dreaming also, but at least he knew that they not real. However, he was sure that this would all end soon enough; he was just in a funk, and he would get over it eventually. And while it sucked, a big part of moving on involved her coming to his apartment.

Letting out a loud, tormented groan, Naruto forced himself to get up into a sitting position. Stretching his neck side to side, he grimaced when he heard the clicks and cracks of his joints before glancing down at his pillow. Was just it just him, or did he need to buy a new one?

"Right..." Mustering up some more of his strength, he then flung his legs over, and got out of bed.

Running a hand through his messy hair, he grabbed his phone before wandering over to his bathroom. As he passed by his dresser, he threw a passing glance at it, his gaze focused on the drawer where he had hidden the ring. Just thinking about it was enough to make him feel as if someone was carving his heart out; he knew that the feeling would only get worse once Sakura arrived.

Sighing quietly as he entered the bathroom, he went to look at his own reflection in the mirror before going to check his phone.

Another message from Sakura. Something about her saying that she would be coming a bit earlier.

"Great." He groaned once more. "I guess I'll just cut my shower short."

Running a hand over his jaw, he took note of the light stubble that had developed during his sleep. Sometimes it bothered him that he was mixed; most of the issues he had were small ones though like needing to shave every day. The pros like being tall and blonde far outweighed the cons, he thought, turning on the shower so that he could brush his teeth while the water heated.

Applying a generous squirt of toothpaste onto his toothbrush, he then began... Brushing. Humming a chorus of a song he heard on the radio a few days ago, he then promptly spat into the sink.

When the shower was finally hot enough, he stripped off his clothes, and stepped in Almost immediately, a sigh of relief escaped him as the water worked wonders to his sore muscles and aching joints. For someone in his early twenties, his body sure felt old, he mused, chuckling at the thought as he shampooed and rinsed his hair. Maybe it was because of his job. He would never give it up though; he loved making people happy.

As he savoured what he knew was going to be a short shower, his mind wandered back to the things that had happened in the last three weeks. While he knew it was unhealthy to linger on the past, surely just a bit of reflection was not going to harm him; plus, it had been less than a month—he still had that excuse at least.

Anyways... A lot of things had happened. That was for sure.

His proposal got rejected, which sucked, but a few good things had also happened, so it was not all bad. He got to serve the prestigious Uchiha family lunch, and he had the honour of sharing a drink with none other than Sayuri Uchiha herself. Before she had first stepped into the restaurant, he had only ever seen her on the front covers of magazines or on television. He could even remember seeing her making a speech on behalf of her father's company one time at an event at the local mall.

She was beautiful then, he thought, dressed up in a dark-red gown; and somehow, even more so when she showed up to the restaurant wearing a sweater and glasses.

Naruto paused as he caught himself thinking about her. She had been coming to the restaurant on an almost daily basis ever since they first shared that drink together. He knew she loved the food, which should be reason enough, but he could not help but feel that she had some ulterior motive for eating there so often. Like, he loved ramen, but even he could not see himself eating it for a whole week straight.

Well... At least not the same flavour.

Perhaps it had to do with what had happened before she came to the restaurant, he thought. She had been wearing mourning clothes like her parents had when she first came, so it was not too difficult connecting the dots. Maybe it was because that was the meal she had right after the funeral that made it feel significant to her—that kept her coming back.

As long as she kept coming back, he would do his best to make her happy.

Nodding his head in affirmation, he then turned off the shower, stepped out, and grabbed a towel. Drying himself off, he then promptly tossed the thing into the laundry bin before he started shaving. Unlike the people he knew, he shaved with a straight razor. Sure, it would have been easier to use something else, but his grandpa had taught him, so he stuck to it.

He stuck to it even after all the times he cut himself, which said something about him.

Finishing up, Naruto wiped off his face before checking himself in the mirror. He looked good; he felt decent. He would show her that he could still live his life even though she was now longer part of it.

Walking out of the bathroom, he then hunted for some clothes to wear. Putting on a pair of boxers, he then threw on his work uniform, a simple tuxedo vest with a matching bowtie and some dress pants. And, like always, he grabbed some casual clothes for after work, and placed them into his backpack.

Just as he had finished preparing, he heard a knock on his door.

"That must be her..."

Walking over to the door, he took a deep breath before opening it.

"Good morning, Sakura."

He greeted her in as nonchalant a voice as he could muster.

She offered him a nod. "Good morning, Naruto."

To think this was the woman that he had planned on spending the rest of his life with, he thought, frowning as he stepped to the side to allow her in. If this any been any other day, she would have thrown herself at him the moment the door opened, and they would wrestle around his apartment before the inevitably made it to his bedroom. This whole situation was awkward; they had been together for so long that he was sure that he knew almost everything about her, but now... Now it felt as if a stranger had appeared at his door.

"I've already packed your stuff." He gestured over at the bags in his small living room.

"Thank you," she said in response.

He kept standing by the doorway as Sakura checked over what he had packed, not knowing what to say or do during the process of her leaving him.

"I think that is everything." Sakura zipped up the last bag and looked back at him.

He nodded. "Good, good. I'm glad I didn't miss anything."

"Well, Naruto..." She lifted the bags up before turning to look at him. "This is goodbye."

He grimaced.

"Yeah..."

Naruto lifted a brow when Sakura stopped just as she was about to walk past him; he opened his mouth to speak, but held his tongue when he saw the conflicted look she had. A part of him was hopeful that she was having second thoughts, that she would drop the bags and tell him that she had made a mistake, but deep down, he knew. He knew that things would never be the same between the two of them—and that nothing was going to change that.

"Sakura, I—!"

His eyes widened when she actually dropped the bags, widening further when she cupped both of his cheeks, and kissed him deeply on the lips.

It ended just as quickly as it had started, the passion she put into it like a fiery blaze that quickly died the instant she pulled away. All he could do was stand there in shock, too bewildered to do anything except stare at her. She stared back at him, her eyes filling with resolve where they had once been doubt before she finally picked up her bags and hastily exited out the door.

"Wha..."

He managed to close the door before he stumbled into the wall. What the fuck just happened?

There was no time to think about it though, he learned as he checked his phone and groaned.

"Great. No breakfast—again." Naruto sighed as he grabbed his backpack, and walked out.

Making it to his car, he tossed his bag in, and got behind the wheel. Though his head was swimming with questions, he pushed them aside in order to concentrate on the road as he drove to work. Now was definitely not a good time to be thinking—especially not about what had just happened.

There was no time to think even after he arrived at the restaurant. Rather, he did not allow for any as he quickly rushed in, and greeted his friend working the front desk.

"Good morning, Temari!" He waved at her.

"Heya, Naruto!" she replied, returning the wave, and offering him a smile.

He smiled back. "How's it going?"

"Oh, you know." She tilted her head coyly as her smile widened. "Same old, same old."

"You sure?" he asked. "You seem very excited about something."

"Well, maybe just a little," Temari admitted, her cheeks turning a light pink. "You know, Shikamaru, right?"

"Yeah. He's a friend," he replied. "What about him?"

She let out a pleasant hum—akin to a squeal. "He finally grew a pair and proposed to me!"

"Woah. Woah, that's great!" exclaimed Naruto, his eyes widening in surprise at the good news. "Wait, wait, wait..."

"What?" She lifted a brow.

He paused, and dropped his voice down into a loud whisper. "What about Gaara? Does he approve?"

"Pshhhh. I wouldn't care if he hated Shikamaru's guts," she replied with a smirk. "I've been waiting for this for too damn long, and I ain't letting anyone stop us!"

Naruto chuckled. "That's the spirit. I wish for your guys' happiness then."

"Thanks, Naruto," she said, smiling until she glanced down at her watch. "Kankuro is going to be pissed if you're late."

"I'm sure I'll get done in time," he replied reassuringly. "Take care, Temari. And congratulations."

She grinned.

"Have a good day, Naruto!"

Smiling back at her, he then made his way over to the employee locker room. The inside of his locker, unlike most of the others, was decorated with a bunch of photos, stickers, and cute magnets. However, they brought no joy to him when he opened it, his smile immediately turning into a frown when he saw them; pictures of her, pictures of them, things to remember her by. They were... Memories of better days.

Making a note to get take them down later, he placed his bag in and closed his locker before heading towards his station. Doing some checks to ensure that the tables were all polished and clean, he then got to work setting up the utensils and glasses. He felt peaceful as he worked; there was something calming about repetition, he thought, placing down the last pair of chopsticks before taking a step back and smiling at his own work.

With time to spare, Naruto decided to sit down in one of the chairs, and wait for the first wave for guests to arrive. And as he sat there, he wondered...

Would Sayuri be coming by again?

She was definitely an interesting person to speak to for sure. Naruto had quickly learned that she was a completely different person when she was with him than when she was getting interviewed or at public events; not that he minded. This version of her that was blunt with him, teased him back, and made rude jokes was much more approachable—definitely more real, too.

It was nice to know that she trusted him enough to show that side of her... If only he knew that he was one of two other people on the planet that knew it existed—or how much stress it brought her.

"Back again, Miss Uchiha?" Naruto perked up when he heard Temari greet their first guest.

"Yes."

"Back for the food or for Naruto, huh?" asked Temari teasingly.

He chuckled when he heard Sayuri sputter. "T-The food, of course. Please, Naruto? That would be most inappropriate. Ahem... I have a reservation under my name."

And there it was—the side of her that she seemed to reserve for everyone except him.

"Ah, yes. Please come this way—to your waiting prince."

Naruto wheezed as he tried his best not to laugh at the antics Temari was trying to pull with the Uchiha heiress. Though it was had not been stated explicitly by either party, Sayuri's relationship with the few staff she knew besides him had become almost friendly thanks to her constant visits. However, not even he was bold enough to do what Temari just did, and he had been the speaking to her the most!

Thankfully, Sayuri did not seem at all offended by the blonde woman's teasing. In fact, judging from the way her pale cheeks were flushed, she seemed more embarrassed than anything else, Naruto noted as he watched her come around the corner. It made sense, he thought; Temari had basically implied that the girl had a crush on him.

Hah. As if that could ever happen.

As the two of them came closer, he saw that this time, Sayuri was wearing a sleek black jacket atop a navy-blue shirt along with a pair of jeans that went all the way up to the bottom of her slender waist, and a pair sneakers. And, like every other time she had come to the restaurant, barring that first visit, she was wearing glasses. They suited her, he thought as he bowed his head politely.

"Welcome back, Sayuri." He smiled at her. "I'll take care of things from here, Temari."

Temari nodded her head before she returned to the front desk. The moment she was out of earshot, Sayuri crossed her arms let out a loud, unabashed groan.

"That woman should know that it is very inappropriate to talk to someone like that. Especially someone like myself." She pouted; rather cutely, he might add.

"I'm sure that if you can survive teasing from me, you can survive it from Temari," he replied, chuckling at her before he began guiding her to her table.

She kept her arms crossed as she followed him. "Yes, but it's different."

"How so?"

Sayuri paused, glancing away as she put some thought into her response before looking back at him.

"It just is."

"Right." Naruto decided not to dive any deeper than that. "I'm surprised you came so early today. Usually you arrive just in time for a late lunch."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I got bored staying at home."

"How can living in a giant mansion be boring?" he asked teasingly as he had her seated in her normal spot by the window.

"All I have in that mansion for myself is a piano and books," she answered as she sat down. "As much as I love both, there are other things I enjoy doing."

"Like eating here?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. Like eating here."

"You really like that salmon dish, huh?" he asked as he placed the menu down in front of her.

The corner of her lips tugged slightly upwards into a subtle smirk. "Among other things..."

"Hm?" Naruto blinked. "You say something?"

"No," she quickly said before giving the menu a glance. "I'll have what I usually have."

"Would that be with your usual order of sake?" he asked.

She lifted a brow. "Isn't it way too early to be drinking?"

"Early, yes, but today is quite cold and cloudy." Naruto offered her a smile as he gestured towards the weather outside. "The best thing for such a day would be some hot sake along with a warm and soothing meal."

"Hm. Your talents are wasted here, Naruto." Sayuri smirked at him. "You'd be a much better salesperson than a waiter. Maybe you could even work marketing for my father's company."

He let out a chuckle. "Some would say that being a salesperson and a waiter is basically the same job."

"Touché." she replied as she tapped her fingers on the table. "I'll only order sake if you share it with me like you always do."

Naruto grinned at her. "Sure, Sayuri. I'd love to share a drink with you."

"You don't have to ask your boss this time?" she asked, trying her best to ignore the warmth in her cheeks after seeing that smile of his.

He shook his head.

"I think he's gotten used to you always asking me to drink with you," he answered with a shrug. "There isn't anybody else that comes as often as you do. Then again, it could be because he's afraid of angering the daughter of one of the richest and most prestigious families in all of Japan."

Sayuri let out an unimpressed snort. "When you say that, you're just complimenting my parents."

"True..." Naruto trailed off before he let out a quiet, contemplative hum. "Well, I could compliment your beauty; you're very beautiful after-all. Then again, that might be a bit shallow..."

As he continued to absentmindedly ramble on about the kind of compliments he could give her, he completely missed the faint, red glow of her cheeks that was just slowly beginning to spread to her ears.

Did he not know the effect he had on her?

... Did she even know?

"Just... Say something," Sayuri furrowed her brow at him.

He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I can't think of one. It would reflect badly on me if I were to give the Uchiha heiress the wrong kind of compliment."

"How can there be a wrong compliment?" She was visibly confused by such a notion. "A compliment is a compliment."

"Yes, but I'm trying to find a compliment good enough for you."

She blushed.

"Y-You're... Is this flirting?" she asked, her blush deepening at her own stammer. "You'd better not be... I'm still an Uchiha and you're just a waiter, remember?"

"I'm just teasing you." Naruto chuckled at her. "And don't worry. I remember."

"Hmph." Sayuri narrowed her eyes at him. "Just go get my food and drink already."

He let out another chuckle as he bowed his head.

"I'll be as quick as I can!"

"You'd better..."

Flashing her a grin, he then left to go fetch her a flask of sake and her appetizer. Such conversations had become the highlight of his days, a delightful reprieve from the depressing thoughts he was still having trouble overcoming. Even with what had happened in the morning, he was able to enjoy their playful banter, Sayuri's reactions more than enough to keep his mind occupied.

Part of him was starting to get worried about her though. Surely, she had better things to do than spend her afternoons talking to a lowly waiter like himself, right?

Then again, from the bits about her personal life that she had shared with him, it seemed like she did not have many friends. While she had brushed off that fact about herself casually, he knew that it could not have been easy for her, especially not after the tragic loss of her brother. While he had experienced loss before, there were always people that he could look to for comfort, but her...

Like before in the shower, the same thought came to mind: as long as she kept coming back, he would do his best to make her happy.

Returning with her sake and her appetizer, he placed both down before revealing the two saucers he had in his other hand. Sliding her one, he then placed the other on the opposite side of the table before taking a seat.

"It's still early, so not many guests should be arriving any time soon."

Sayuri rolled her eyes. "I'm sure this restaurant could find other servers to wait your tables for you if they knew an Uchiha asked them to."

"That wouldn't be fair though." He gave her a smile as proceeded to pour her some sake. "Everyone that ends up being seated at one of my tables deserves an equal piece of my charming self."

"You say that as if you're a factor when people make a reservation here." She smirked at him.

Naruto let out a chuckle. "You say that, but I know for a fact that you always asked to get seated at one of my tables."

"Hm... You got me there..." Sayuri blushed, pausing when she saw him go to fill his own saucer. "Here, let me pour for you."

"I can pour for myself," he reassured. "You're a guest after-all."

She let out a snort. "This again? Didn't I tell you the last ten times that it's only proper that I pour for you in return?"

"Yeah, well..."

"Jeeze. Just give me the damn thing already."

Sayuri reached forward to grab the flask, but was unable to hold it properly once she pried it away from him; all she ended up as she fumbled was dropping it onto the table, and inadvertently holding his hands. In that moment, she immediately noticed a few things: his hands were very warm, he was blushing, and now she was also blushing. Somehow, they had both gotten red-faced without either of them having even had a sip of alcohol yet.

She bit her bottom lip. "Naruto."

"Sayuri," he responded quietly.

Fortunately, the flask had fallen upright on the table, so nothing was spilled. Seeing that, they both breathed a relieved sigh before slowly pulling their hands back. Naruto's returned his to his lap while she went to go pick up the flask so that she could finally pour him his drink. For a few seconds after that, they sat in silence, during which her mind raced with one question.

What the heck even was that?

"Sayuri?" he asked.

"I think we're going to have to drink away the awkwardness of what just happened." She moved to pick up her saucer.

He parted his lips to speak, but was quickly silenced when she glared at him.

"I said drink."

Not needing her to repeat herself, he picked up his own. Following her movements, he went to drink his sake just as she did, copying her even as she downed it all. It seemed that instead of drinking away her sorrows, Sayuri liked drinking away her embarrassment, he thought.

Seeing that her saucer was now empty, Naruto quickly went to refill it.

Sayuri watched him as he did so, waiting for the burn in her throat to fade away before she could finally speak.

"You know..." she began, watching as the slightly translucent liquid flowed into her cup. "There's just something about you, Naruto."

He lifted a brow. "Oh?"

"I don't know how to describe it, but I find that you're one of the few people I'm comfortable speaking to," she confessed, her cheeks flushing. "I thought it was because you were the first genuine person I talked to after losing Itachi, but... I don't know now."

"Sometimes we just feel comfortable talking to someone even if we don't have a reason to. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I guess." She let out a snort.

"I mean, hey, I'm happy talking to you as much as I can whenever you come to the restaurant." Naruto smiled at her.

She looked at him, pausing as she contemplated his words. "Hm... Hand me your phone."

"Sure?" He looked at her curiously as he took it out from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Huh. No password. Makes sense, I guess."

"H-Hey!"

Sayuri ignored him in favour of typing something on his phone. It was just as the doors opened and some more guests arrived that she handed it back to him.

"Here."

He lifted a brow as he looked at it. "What's this?"

"My phone number," she answered, her cheeks warming up again against her will when she saw him immediately blush. "Stop looking like it's a big deal. It's not. You shouldn't be blushing. You're going to make me blush again at this rate."

"But... But it is!" he exclaimed as he held his phone as if it were some sort of forbidden tome. "You sure about this, Sayuri?"

She pressed her lips together before slowly shrugging her shoulders. "Look, we've spoken so much that we're basically friends at this point. Wouldn't it be weird only ever speaking to me when I come to the restaurant?"

"I guess that... Makes sense." He slowly slid the phone back in his pocket.

"And don't just call me because you feel obligated to," she said adamantly before suddenly leaning forward. "I know I throw my family's name around a lot, but I only want you to if you actually... If you actually like talking to me."

Naruto offered her a warm smile. "Don't worry, Sayuri. I like talking to you."

"Right..." She bit her bottom lip. "Well... I think you have some more tables waiting for you. You should go deal with that."

"I'll call you later then, alright?"

"Alright."

Giving her a nod, he then left, leaving Sayuri alone at her table. A few moments passed during which she was able to maintain her composure before she suddenly slumped back on her seat and let out a loud groan. All of what she had just said had been so sudden; she had no idea where it had even come from, and now... And now, Naruto had her phone number.

Oh God, he was going to call her.

Was this pounding that she just noticed in her chest fear or anticipation?

... How was she supposed to explain this to Kakashi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The more and more I write this, the more concerned about what kind of potential I may be missing out on because of my writing skills. Part of me wants something to happen, but the part of me actually doing the writing is struggling to put that into words. Hopefully I was able to convey what I meant to, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it. If you did, toss me a review. I love feedback.


	5. A Late Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back, wonderful readers, to another chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux. Last time, we got to see Sakura's brief, albeit awkward, introduction, and Sayuri being her usual, confused and conflicted self. This time, we get a glimpse of what is happening in the Uchiha heiress' mind as she finds her relationship with Naruto progressing faster than she had expected it to. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy.

Sayuri had told Kakashi nothing along the way back home.

And he had been professional enough not to ask anything. Not even when she came back to the car still blushing because her nerves were starting to fray at the prospects of talking to Naruto anywhere else besides the restaurant; and in her own bedroom no less. Really, it was startling that she even had it in her to just give him her phone number like that. Was it not supposed to be the man's job to make such advances?!

Though she felt that things were not going as they should, a part of her was proud that she had stepped out of her comfort zone for once. Instead of lamenting about not being able to do something, she had just impulsively done it; and it had come so naturally as well, almost as if the inhibitions her father had trained into her had just disappeared in that moment when Naruto was smiling at her, and she was...

Bah. She should have seen this coming. If he managed to convince her to drink before she turned twenty, she was sure that he could convince her to do other things as well.

She would definitely have to be more careful around him—he was dangerous.

And so were these feelings she had... Regarding him. Not for him; there was a difference. It was much too early to consider that kind of thing, especially not now when she felt as if she was just one step from falling apart. Even if she did not like him in that way yet, she still liked and respected him enough to not want to exploit his kindness, and use him as a crutch while she was still in mourning.

Even if she did grow up in an emotionally stunted family, she was not oblivious to her own. She knew that they existed; they were just difficult to understand sometimes.

Some days she felt empty inside, drained, just barely able to get out of bed in the morning. Other days passed by so quickly that all they left behind were hazy memories. The only reprieve she got was whenever she visited Naruto at the restaurant.

While her books gave her insight as to why that was the case, she knew that experience was the only real way to learn things in life. So, giving him her phone number so they could talk more made sense, right?

Right. It did. She was not going to let anyone tell her otherwise.

Lounging on her bed, Sayuri tried her best to relax, all the while staring anxiously at her phone. Every few minutes, she would pick it up and then place it back down on her nightstand just to pick it up again. As this went on, the more anxious she got; and eventually, she started to get frustrated. For as long as she could remember, the only reason she kept a phone in the first place was so that she could talk to Itachi while he was away on business trips. Now, it seemed like she had a new one; so, she could talk to Naruto.

He had promised to call her.

And he would call her, she thought—any second now.

She had no idea when he got off work, but surely, he was home by now. It was almost eight after-all. Then again, maybe Naruto was one of those workaholic freaks that spent all day working. She would not put it past him; he seemed to really love his job afte—!

Her eyes widened as her phone began to vibrate. This was it, she thought, as she picked it up and brought it to her ear.

Clearing her throat, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sayuri!" She smiled despite herself when she heard his voice.

"Hey, Naruto." Sayuri scooted back against her headboard as she spoke. "Did you just finish up at the restaurant?"

"Yeah. Just finished up. About to head home," he answered. "How about you?"

She stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. "Currently, I'm lying in bed, deciding whether I want to take a shower or a bath later tonight... Do you always work this late?"

"Not always." She heard him chuckle softly. "Just been taking more hours lately."

"Why?" she asked. "Short on money?"

"No. I got by just fine without the overtime."

"Oh?" Sayuri lifted a brow. "Then why work more than you have to?"

"Oh, you know. Keeps me busy."

She hummed quietly. "Most people would find other things to keep them busy—like a hobby."

"My hobby's kind of slow."

"What?" She paused.

"Well..."

"Is it something embarrassing?" She smirked.

"I garden." He let out a chuckle.

Sayuri let out an amused snort. "Seriously? You garden?"

"Sort of. I take care of plants in my apartment. I even gave them all names!"

"That..."

Sayuri trailed off. She had wanted to make fun of him, but he just sounded so... Enthusiastic. It was strange hearing someone could get so excited about something so boring. It was shocking to discover that he had the patience to grow a plant, let alone several. Him naming them was not a surprise though.

"Sayuri?" His voice brought her back to the conversation.

"That... Sounds adorable, Naruto. Tell me their names, please?"

"Sure!"

She swore she feel his smile radiate from her phone as he began telling her their names. By the time they finally finished talking, the only one she could recall was 'Mr. Ukki'; and that was only because she thought that it was too painfully cute to forget. It also happened to be a very fitting name for the short, chubby cactus that he described.

What Sayuri had ended up forgetting though was the time. Staring at the top of the screen after their call had ended, her eyes went wide. Good God, it was late. She could hardly remember a time when she had stayed up past midnight; she valued her beauty sleep too much for that. Strangely enough however, as she put her phone away and tucked herself into bed, she found herself more worried for Naruto's rest than her own. Knowing that he had to wake up much earlier than she did and that she had kept him up...

Oh well. It was his fault for losing track of time. The only thing she was guilty of was being a wonderful conversationalist. 

Smiling at that thought, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A short chapter for sure, but I really wanted to write Naruto calling Sayuri for the first time and having the next part in the same chapter would just be an odd transition. Do not worry though, the next chapter will definitely have more content. Maybe it will be dramatic, maybe it will be fluffy; you will all get to know next time. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Please favourite, follow, and review!


	6. A Helpful Butler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Greetings, friends. Welcome back to the sixth chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux. I apologize if I am not updating as quickly as I had initially, but that is because I am still working during these trying times. For those reading in the far future, said trying times happens to be during the COVID-19 pandemic. Worry not though, people, for I am healthy, and I plan on staying healthy for as long as I can. Anyways, on with the chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

It had quickly become a tradition between them.

Naruto would call her after he got off work most days; she would pick up whenever she could, and they would converse for as long as time would permit them to. They discussed a myriad of different topics, ranging from the mundane to the profound, but rarely did they talk about anything that either of them would consider personal. He kept everything fun and light-hearted—and stuck to things that she was comfortable with.

She liked that about him. He knew when to slip in a joke, was never pushy, and was always respectful.

If only her father's guests could be like that. At some point, there had to be an end to all the sleazy businessmen, right?

Maybe there was one; it was just not in sight, she thought, a serene smile—a facade—on her face as she bowed her head politely in front of her father's latest guest. This individual, while not as particularly revolting as some of the others had been, was still very unpleasant. She had known that the moment she walked into the room when he stared at her. It was a penetrating gaze that immediately made her wary; it was obvious that he was plotting something.

She would have likely forgiven him had he not persisted. One quick glance at her father's expression was all she needed to know what was required of her.

Endure.

The empire business was treacherous, its corruption most apparent to those that involved themselves in it. Not even her family could operate without submitting to its rules. And while she told herself that this was all necessary to keep the Uchiha name afloat, especially during these precarious times, she had never wanted to run away more than whenever her father needed her to serve his guests.

Part of her felt fortunate all that she ever needed to do was pour tea or sake, and look pretty. God knows what the daughters of less prestigious families had to go through.

If they could endure that, she could endure this.

"A pleasure meeting you, Mr. Shimura," she said softly.

"Please," he began. "Call me Danzo."

She offered him another bow. "As you wish. Welcome to the Uchiha estate, Danzo."

"Yes, yes..." He glanced across the table at Fugaku. "It is true what they say, Fugaku. Your daughter is beautiful; meek and well-mannered—a proper young lady. You raised her well."

She gritted her teeth. This asshole...

"You flatter me," she said, smiling politely before she gestured over to a pot on the table. "Would you like some tea?"

"I would." He watched her carefully as she poured some tea into his cup before she did the same for her father. "How old is she now?"

"Nineteen." Fugaku nodded his thanks to his daughter before he lifted his cup up to his lips and took a sip. "She turns twenty in July."

"And she is not betrothed yet?"

"No. Not yet."

Danzo peered at her from the corner of his eye. "I see. How interesting..."

"Yes, very. Now, let's discuss business," said Fugaku before motioning for Sayuri to take her leave. "I will handle things from here, Sayuri. Go head back to your room."

"Yes, Father." Sayuri scooted back. "I wish you two a productive meeting."

Bowing her head for the third and hopefully last time, Sayuri offered them both a smile before she stood up and silently made her leave. She hid her discomfort well even as she walked out the door, Danzo's sharp gaze piercing through her until she finally walked out of his view. Walking even further, she soon found herself an empty hallway; it was the perfect place to have a small breakdown, she thought, sinking down as she did just that.

With her knees pressed to her chest and her back against the wall, she sat there, and began to sulk.

The way he had looked at her with those cold, scheming eyes... It had taken all she had not to shiver whenever he had them on her, watching her, studying her. It was different than the lecherous gaze that she was used to, not that it was an improvement; it was actually remarkably worse—by far.

She was thankful that her father had told her to leave. Though he was oblivious to most things about her, even he was not so terrible a parent that he was unable to notice when his daughter felt uncomfortable. It was rare for him though to send her away, reserving such an action for only the most egregious of guests, the kind that even he could not stand. While Danzo had most definitely been unnerving to serve, something told her that it was not because he was ogling her like some vulgar vulture that she had been told to go back to her room.

Right... Her room. She still needed to get there.

But, why?

It was not as if her father was going to come by to check up on her. The only one that ever did was Kaka—

"And what might you be doing here, Lady Sayuri?"

Speak of the Devil...

Slowly, she lifted her head up, her eyes narrowing as they focused on her silver-haired butler. "Aren't you supposed to be tending to the garden?"

"I finished that about almost a half hour ago." Kakashi offered her a smile as he knelt down. "I take it your father had one of those kinds today?"

"So, I've been sitting here for that long..." She trailed off before giving the man a shrug. "He was awful, but not like your usual case. It was disturbing the way he looked at me—not like meat, but something else."

He hummed quietly. "I caught a glimpse of him when he walked out. That Shimura fellow... He definitely got that cold look from his ruthless business practices. I cannot imagine how else he could have survived the climb to the top without a big family supporting him."

"I don't like him," she said simply.

"I don't either, but that's because I don't like most people."

His matter-of-factness was enough to elicit a weak snort from her. "I could say the same, but I am sure that is only because most of the people I have met are incorrigible scum."

"Makes sense. You're still young enough to be optimistic." He let out a chuckle. "Now, let's get you out of the hallway."

"Why?" She made no move to get up. "Is it because it is unsightly for me to be sitting here?"

"The only thing unsightly, Lady Sayuri," he began as he offered her his hand. "Is how upset you look. Such an expression is unbefitting for such a pretty face."

She scowled at him, but still took his hand and allowed him to help her onto her feet. "It's unlike you to say something like that."

"Perhaps." He shrugged a shoulder. "But I have noticed how your mood has improved in recent days; and that a smile suits you much better than a frown."

"How perceptive of you," she remarked dryly.

"It is my job to be." Kakashi smiled before he started heading in the direction of her bedroom.

Sayuri rolled her eyes as she began following him. "Most butlers would know to stay out of their employers' personal lives."

"Yes, well, I am not like most butlers."

"Most butlers don't wear a mask." She looked at him.

"They just aren't as stylish as I am." Kakashi ran his fingers through his hair.

She let out a snort. "Right."

"You know..." Kakashi glanced over at her as they walked. "Your father wishes he could spend more time with you just as much as you do."

"Oh?" She lifted a brow.

He nodded. "He is a very busy man. And while he may be worth more than some nations out there, it seems that not even your father is capable of buying time."

Sayuri frowned. Hearing that from Kakashi was both gratifying and disheartening.

"I see..."

They stopped once they reached the door to her room. Though their conversation had been short, it had been pleasant, almost surprisingly so. She would not have minded talking to her aloof butler for a bit longer; not that Kakashi needed to know that. The man's pride would have risen to insufferable levels if he knew that she liked speaking to him—not that it was not already.

"Shall I see about getting you something to eat, Lady Sayuri?" he asked as he opened the door for her. "It's strawberry season. Perhaps some strawberry shortcake?"

"That sounds nice," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she slipped inside of her room. "I'm going to take a bath. Please have it for me by then."

He bowed his head. "As you wish."

Closing the door behind her, Sayuri wasted in no time in kicking off her heels and taking off her dress, letting out a sigh of relief before she slid the shoes to the side and tossed the obscene garment onto her bed. Strangely enough, she felt more modest as she walked into her bathroom wearing nothing but a strapless bra and a pair of panties; perhaps it was because they were made to conceal her body while the clothes she wore for her father's guests were designed to show it off. Something, something about simple underwear being more innocent than a dress with a cut low enough to show off her breasts—even if the former revealed more.

If she were truly as beautiful as those around her said she was, could it they not be satisfied with her just wearing what she found comfortable?

Could they not be content with her serving them tea without her having to show off her body?

It was bullshit; but sadly, that was how it was.

The sound of the tub filling with hot water was enough to distract her from her thoughts, prompting her to continue her bathing routine. Stepping up to her mirror, the first thing she did was take her contacts out before she removed her makeup and tied her hair up into a tight ponytail. She then stripped off her underwear and tossed it into the hamper, leaving her comfortably nude within the privacy of her own bathroom.

Soon, the room became like a sauna, the mirrors and walls developing a fine layer of steam as her tub filled to completion. And when it had, she promptly turned the tap off, and sprinkled in a few dried cherry blossoms before finally getting in.

"Hah..."

The hot water elicited a sweet sigh from her as she slowly sank herself into it. Closing her eyes when she was finally submerged all the way to her chin, she tilted her head back, and relaxed. This was how she liked to bathe; no music, nothing to distract her as she took the time to enjoy one of life's great pleasures.

Though, try as she might, she could never escape from her own thoughts. While they were no longer about her uncomfortable encounter with Danzo Shimura, they were... Disconcerting, nonetheless. This particular train of thought had begun with the tub; she had mused that it was far too big for just one person. It was not the first time she had thought that, but that was not what was bothering what. What did was that she had imagined a particular blonde sharing it with her.

And it was then that she felt very alone. Her father was off conducting business, her butler was off making her a cake, and Naruto was still busy at work. And while she still made an effort to see him, she had to cut her back on her visits lest she arouse suspicion. She had pushed it to the point where even Kakashi had become curious about why she kept having him make reservations there—and he was hardly ever curious.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling that the silver-haired man knew more than he was letting on.

Was he going to tell her father?

She would have to kill him if he did.

The more she thought about it, the more worried she got. Eventually, not even being in the bath was enough to calm her. She got out when that became apparent, and quickly dried off before putting on a bathrobe. It was just when she finished tying the cloth strap around her waist that she heard a knock on her door, prompting her to slip on her slippers, and walk out of her bathroom to see who it was.

"Ah. Kakashi," she said plainly, lifting a brow when he saw the plate in his hand. "I didn't expect you to be done so quick."

"It seems you have lost track of time again, Lady Sayuri, because it has almost been an hour," he replied, stepping into her room as she moved to the side to allow him in.

Sayuri shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. I guess I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Would this have to be with your father's meeting earlier or that person you are always talking on the phone with?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed.

"So, you know about that?" She folded her arms. "What else do you know?"

Kakashi blinked. "Was it supposed to be a secret?"

"W-Wha—" She stammered, her cheeks turning pink. "Yes, it was supposed to be a secret!"

"With how loud you speak to him on the phone, I assumed it wasn't." He shrugged at her. "I assume it's a him."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes. It's a him... Close the door. I don't want anyone to hear about what we're talking about."

He turned to do just that before looking back at her.

"So—"

"You can not tell my father about this." She cut him off with a scowl as she took a step forward. "Got it?"

Kakashi looked at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "You act as if you're hiding a secret boyfriend or something."

He stopped laughing when he saw how serious she looked.

"Oh."

"He's not my boyfriend," she said quietly, becoming even quieter when she said the next part. "But I wouldn't mind heading in that direction..."

"I see..." He trailed off. "So, I take it that you at least like him?"

Sayuri slowly nodded her head. "There are... A lot of things that I like about him."

"Right." Kakashi let out a quiet sigh as he walked over and placed her shortcake on her desk. "Though I may be older and more experienced than you are, Lady Sayuri, I am not the best person to talk to when it comes to these things. Perhaps your moth—"

"I can't tell her. Not yet." She bit her bottom lip. "I need to know how this will end first."

"That's the thing..." He offered her a shrug. "You'll never know what's going to happen until it happens. That's life."

She scowled at him, but did not say anything. Instead, she sat on her bed, and let out a sigh before reaching out with her hand. Guessing easily enough what she wanted, Kakashi picked the cake back up, and brought it to her. Handing it over, along with a fork, he let out an amused snort as he watched her begin to eat. Slowly, bit by bit, more and more of the shortcake disappeared into her mouth, half of it gone when she finally placed it down beside her, seemingly ready to continue their conversation.

"I'm... Afraid," she admitted quietly.

He watched her expression soften. "Afraid of what?"

"Many things..." Sayuri slowly looked up at him. "I've never felt this way about someone, and I'm afraid that these feelings I have are only there because of what happened to Itachi."

"Lady Sayuri..." He paused. "Feelings are complicated. Sometimes, they can get mixed up and confuse you. Just because you are feeling strong emotions from one thing doesn't mean it has to do with the other."

She pressed her lips together. "I guess that makes sense..."

"I don't think this is about Itachi at all," said Kakashi, giving his head a shake. "I think this is just you reacting to being charmed by a genuinely kind person, and you're embarrassed about it."

"I am not so easy that I would latch onto the first kind person I see, Kakashi." She folded her arms. "Not even after a traumatic event."

"Well, of course not. I'm sure there are other features that he has that has you head over heels for him," he said teasingly.

"Kakashi," she said menacingly.

"Right, right."

He raised his hands as if to say that he would stop with the jokes before quietly clearing his throat.

"I said this earlier, but your mood has truly improved in the last few weeks. I am sure that I have seen you smile more in the last few days than I have since I started working here. I don't know who he is, but I do know that he makes you happy," he began, offering her a small smile. "Life is short, Lady Sayuri. If your heart is telling you to do something, then perhaps it is best to just do it then."

She frowned. "I don't know what my heart is telling me though."

"You do," he said. "You're just letting doubt get in the way."

"But..."

"The heart doesn't give you an exact image of what it wants," he explained, repeating things he read in his erotic novels at this point so he could appease his charge. "When the time comes, pay attention to it, and then you will know what to do."

Sayuri let out a quiet sigh. "That sounds... Right. I guess."

Kakashi breathed an inward sigh of relief.

"But what if he rejects me?" she asked, almost knocking him off balance. "I don't want things to change between us if he does..."

"Well..." He took a second to think of a response. "You're mature for your age, so I know you wouldn't have these feelings for just anyone. I say, trust your heart. If it says that he is a good man, then you shouldn't be afraid, whether he rejects you or not."

"Maybe..." Her gaze drifted off over to her phone. "Hm... I will consider your advice, Kakashi."

"You know, you still haven't told me his na—!"

She quickly looked back at him. "None of your business!"

"Right." He took a step back. "Well, I should get going. I still have to prepare dinner."

"Yes. I think you should. It's getting close to dinner time."

"Hopefully I was able to help you clear your mind some," he said, offering her a bow before he turned to leave.

Sayuri stayed quiet as she watched him leave, only speaking just as he got to the door.

"Thank you, Kakashi... For the help."

He looked back at her, and smiled.

"You're welcome."

Nodding his head, he then walked out the door.

Alone once more, she picked up her shortcake before rolling over onto her side so that she could reach her phone which had been charging on her nightstand. Picking it up, she turned it on to check the time before swiping and pressing on the screen until she got to her list of contacts. She did not need to scroll once it opened; there were only four contacts she had saved: her father, her mother, Kakashi, and Naruto—the only person she used her phone to talk to.

As she stared at his name, she reflected on the conversation that she just had with her butler. Kakashi was right; Naruto did make her happy. His smile was contagious, the sound of his voice made her heavy heart float, and his kindness warmed her in a way that words could not describe.

But there were still things she needed to know before she felt comfortable making any move to further their relationship. Things that she had avoided asking, that she knew would make her motives known or make things potentially awkward between them.

At least now... She now knew it was worth the risk.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Writing is hard! Then again, if it were easy, I would probably do it more often. Anyways, I really wanted to write some interactions between Sayuri and Kakashi because I think that this side-relationship needed some set-up for what happens later in the story; it is to make their bond more convincing and all that. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you did, please favourite, follow, and review. I would love feedback, or you can ask me questions. Either works.


	7. A Promising Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance meeting, brought together by two different cascading waves of tragedy, was how Naruto and Sayuri first met each other. Sensing each other's pain, they find themselves seeking the company of the other more and more as they get to know each other, bringing about difficult complications and harsh consequences. Will their unlikely love prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Salutations, my wonderful readers. I welcome you back to the seventh chapter of Mismatched Fragments Redux! I hoped you liked those interactions between Kakashi and Sayuri in the last chapter, and that you are also wary of what Danzo might be planning for her. Also, I'm sorry for taking this long to update. What little work I still do has been oddly draining. Anyways, please enjoy!

She could not believe that it was finally happening.

Somehow, her courage had lasted from her conversation with Kakashi all the way until it was the usual time for Naruto to call her; and when he did, she had nearly blasted into her phone telling, basically ordering, him to take her on a date. Except, that was not how it had gone at all. What had actually happened was that she had whispered her request in a voice so meek that she could not believe it had come out of her own mouth—plus she ended up having to repeat herself after all that.

It was embarrassing; so much so that she had wanted to die right then and there. But he had said yes.

And that was all that mattered.

They had decided to meet up on the coming Saturday; when he was off from work and her parents were out of town for the weekend. To think that she would be going on a date, her first date ever, with someone that she had chosen herself. While she had never put much thought into the kind of person her first date would be, she had always subconsciously believed that he would have been picked for her by her father. He had control over most aspects of her life; and she had not thought to question any of it.

Not until now.

All it had taken was a chance meeting with a charming blonde and a small push from her butler, and she was now making decisions all by herself. A small part of her was scared; if she screwed this up, it would be her fault—there was no one could she blame. However, the powerful rush from being independent for once was more than enough to keep her going despite her doubts.

Still, she was nervous about her date—with Naruto.

She owned multiple romance novels; while they gave her some insight as to what a quote-on-quote proper romantic relationship felt like, it had little in the way of what she needed to actually do to feel as such. Though then again, she felt as if she was already half-way there, her heart pitter-pattering in her chest whenever thoughts of a certain man came to mind.

There were also concerns about what she would be wearing on their date. When she had asked him, he had told her to wear whatever she liked. And while she enjoyed wearing her boring combination of a sweater and a pair of leggings, she felt that he had at least deserved seeing her in something a bit more special. Something like...

She hummed quietly as she pulled a garment out from her closet, her eyes narrowing as the examined it before the corner of her lips curved upwards to form a smirk.

Yes, this would do, Sayuri thought. She could not wait to see him on Saturday, which was tomorrow—and for him to see her.

Knowing that she should get in bed or else she would not be able to get to sleep in time, she did just that, turning off the lights before she crawled under her sheets and closed her eyes. As she suspected, she tossed and turned, her excitement preventing her from keeping still, but eventually... Eventually, as thoughts of him turned into a dream, she began to doze off, a small smile on her lips as she finally fell asleep.

Across the city in his studio apartment, Naruto was still awake. Very much so, in fact, as he shared a drink with his best friend and co-worker, Gaara. Unlike most Friday nights though, there was a heaviness in the air as they sat on the couch, drinking their beers whilst watching the television. This was only apparent to one of them, and it was definitely not the blonde.

However, Gaara, being Gaara, said nothing about it. He knew Naruto would tell him if something was wrong when he was ready. And judging by his friend's expression, that would be any second now.

Any second now...

"Gaara, something's been on my mind lately," said Naruto, oblivious to the slight smirk that had just appeared on his friend's face.

"Oh?" He lifted a brow. "And what would that be?"

"It's about Sakura."

Gaara held back the urge to say anything, and instead decided to let Naruto continue talking.

"And... Well... Sayuri Uchiha."

"Oh?" Gaara lifted a brow as he turned his head to look at him. "What about them?"

"You know how you pulled me aside a few weeks ago because I looked out of it?" Naruto frowned, continuing when he saw the redhead nod. "Well... You were right. It was about Sakura. She... She and I... We're no longer together."

"I see..."

Naruto took a small pull from his bottle. "It had been the perfect day, you know... When I proposed to her. Everything was going so well, but..."

He then let out a sad sigh.

"She said no."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Naruto." Gaara awkwardly raised an arm which Naruto gladly wrapped around his own shoulder. "Do you know why she said no?"

"No." He slowly shook his head. "And I still don't..."

"Women..." Gaara paused. "Women are confusing."

Naruto let out a soft snort. "Yep."

"So, what about Sayuri Uchiha?" he asked, taking a drink as he waited for him to respond.

"Well... You know how she's been coming to the restaurant a lot?"

Gaara nodded.

"Like, she's been coming a bit less now, but a few weeks ago, she was there almost every day for lunch?"

He nodded again.

"And how Kankuro gave me permission to share a drink with her whenever she asked me to?"

A third nod.

"I haven't told anyone about it yet, but we've gotten a bit close," confessed Naruto, his face taking on a guilty look as he continued speaking. "She gave me her phone number, and asked me to call her. So, I did after I got off work. And now, it's become a thing between us..."

He then looked over at him.

"She asked me on a date, Gaara. And... I said yes."

Gaara did not immediately respond; instead, he took a sip of beer, and turned to watch the television. Naruto did not dare say anything else, too afraid that his friend was disappointed in him. When his friendly finally looked back at him, he nearly flinched in anticipation of whatever harsh words that he may have had for him.

"I don't see why that is a big deal."

"W-What?" Naruto's eyes widened. "But aren't I moving too fast?!"

"Naruto, I don't think that matters," he began, biting down on his bottom lip as he put some thought into some response. "I have known you for quite a while now, and I have seen how well you treated Sakura when you two were still in a relationship. You're not the kind of person to love half-heartedly nor the type to love someone less over time, so if you think you have feelings for Sayuri, then go for it."

Naruto blinked at him. Once. Twice. Then, he glomped him.

"N-Naruto! You're going to spill my beer!"

Upon hearing that, he quickly pulled back. "Ah. Sorry. I was just really surprised and happy to hear that from you."

"Jeeze..." Gaara gave him a look. "It would have been your couch that got ruined. Not mine."

"Meh." Naruto chuckled. "I need to replace this thing anyways."

"Why?"

The blonde just winked at him.

Immediately, he stood up. "I'm going back to the table."

"That won't make much of a difference!" he heard Naruto shout at him.

"Gross."

"Hey! I made sure to clean afterwards!"

Gaara gave his head a shake before downing the rest of his bottle.

"I'm getting another beer."

Naruto laughed.

"Make sure to get me one, too!"

The mood had quickly lifted after that, and the rest of the night was spent talking and drinking. By the end of it all, more than a dozen empty bottles rested on the table, Naruto had fallen asleep on his couch, and Gaara had to get hoisted away by his siblings and thrown into their car. Though they had both drank around the same amount, only one of them would wake up the next morning hungover—and once again, it was definitely not the blonde.

Perhaps it was because he was excited for his date, but Naruto managed to wake himself up the next morning—before his alarm did it for him. Springing onto his feet, he walked over his bed, specifically his nightstand, and pulled out one of the drawers. It was a spur of the moment decision for sure, but... Maybe it was because of who she was or something that happened in his dream... Oh well. Rummaging through it, it did not take him long to find what he wanted.

A pair of glasses. Checking the frame, he let out an amused snort when he saw the Uchiha brand logo on them.

While his eyes were not so bad that they warranted needing to use them, they were still bad enough that his grandparents had forced him to get a prescription. And while he appreciated them getting a pair for him, he stopped wearing them after he moved out, but... Well... Maybe it was cheesy, but he thought it would be cute of him if he also showed up wearing glasses.

Walking into his bathroom, he put them on, and checked himself out in the mirror. God, he looked like such a dork, he thought, laughing at himself, oblivious to his own smile as he got ready for the day. It was not when he caught himself humming in the shower that he noticed how he was acting, how... Exuberant he was being. He almost felt as if it were five years ago, when he had his first date with a certain someone...

No. That was in the past. It would be wrong to think of her when this day belonged to someone else.

Someone that he had to meet in about an hour.

Squeaky clean and freshly shaven, he stepped out, and walked over to his dresser. Though he had put some thought into what he would be wearing, he decided that this time, he would just go with the flow. He did suddenly decide to start wearing his glasses again after-all. So, throwing caution to the wind, he started putting together an outfit.

And when he was finally fully dressed...

"Huh." He hummed pleasedly as he looked at himself in the mirror. "Not bad!"

An orange shirt, a hooded leather jacket, and a pair of dark-blue jeans. They went well with his glasses, he thought. Hopefully, she would think the same.

Grabbing a convenience store onigiri from the fridge to eat on the way there along with his keys, Naruto then walked out the door, and headed down to the underground parking lot. He tapped his foot as he stood in the elevator, impatience getting to him even though he still had plenty of time left until when they had decided to meet each other. While he knew that, he also knew that with how the city was, there was always a possibility of something holding him up—causing him to be late.

And that simply would not do! As someone had once told him: "If you're five minutes early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late."

Granted, the person who had told him that was former military. Still, it was a good standard to follow! At least, that was what he thought. Man... It really has been a long time since he has spoken to Kakashi. He should really give the man a call one of these days...

Maybe after the date, he would.

As it was just a first date, they had both decided on something casual. It was her that had suggested that they go to the mall; after that, she would leave the rest of it all up to him. It was tough coming up with something to woo the Uchiha heiress when she had access to many more things than he did, but he was sure that what he had planned was going to do just that. And if not, well, at least he could say he tried earnestly.

He rolled into the parking lot of the mall just as he finished his onigiri. And unlike most days, he managed to do so without getting grains of rice on his clothes. It was a promising beginning, he thought, smiling as he got out of his car and made his way in.

They had decided to meet in a boba shop near the entrance. As he had been there a few times already, he knew that it was a quaint place; minimalist in design like the restaurant with couches as well as chairs to give it a cozy, laid back vibe. The bubble tea they served was also really good—some of the best he has ever had.

Then again, there was definitely better. With Sayuri's wealth, she could have the best bubble tea in the country or the world whenever she so pleased. God, he was so nervous. Even though she had reassured him that how expensive their date would not be a factor, he had still splurged a bit. Hopefully...

Hopefully, this would go well.

Leaning up against a wall by the entrance, Naruto then pulled out his phone, and began browsing through the internet while he waited. With how he had timed things, it would be quite a while until she arrived, but he did not mind; it gave him time to calm his slightly jittery nerves. It was not every day that one got to take out a woman as beautiful as Sayuri Uchiha after all.

He had just finished reading a blog post from his favourite ramen stand when he heard a set of footsteps approach him. Looking up from his phone, he nearly dropped the thing when he saw...

"Sayuri." His eyes widened.

"Hey... Naruto," she said softly, offering him a shy wave, the flush on her cheeks contrasting sweetly with her pale skin. "How... How do I look?"

God, he did not even know where to begin—she was gorgeous!

Naruto knew he was staring, but he did not care; he just needed this one moment to take in her appearance completely, and then he would be satisfied. Sayuri had her hands clasped shyly behind her back and was wearing a navy-blue sundress with silver frills along with a pair of matching flats, as well as her usual set of glasses. The dress stopped just at her knees, giving him a hint of her long, smooth, and slender legs.

He only spared them a glance though, too enthralled with her face to look anywhere else. She had just a touch of makeup on—the perfect amount to accentuate her already beautiful features.

"You look..." He tried to find the words to describe her. "Amazing? Fantastic? Wonderful? I think they need to invent a new word to describe how good you look, Sayuri."

Her blush deepened. "Flattery will get you nowhere with me..."

"And your hair. I love what you've done with it," he continued.

She gave him a look. "It's just a ponytail..."

"Just stating facts," he said, offering her a smile. "You look beautiful—and that's the truth."

She bit her bottom lip and waited for her cheeks to calm down. When it felt as her face was no longer on fire, she quietly cleared her throat before parting her lips to speak.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she remarked. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

Damn, he looked oddly hot in them. She almost licked her lips.

"I usually don't." He grinned at her. "But I thought it'd be cute if we matched."

"It... Suits you," she admitted. "I think you should wear them more often."

Naruto smiled once more. "Maybe I will."

He then tucked his phone into his pocket and leaned in closer to get a better look at her, but paused when he saw something odd.

"Huh. Are you wearing brown contacts?"

"Everyone would know I was an Uchiha otherwise," she pointed out.

He paused. "Makes sense, I suppose. I have a feeling you'll still draw looks from a lot of people anyways though."

"One of the many consequences of being beautiful, I guess." She smirked at him.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, if you're willing to bear them, I'm not going to complain."

"You'd better not." Sayuri narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't you worry," he said reassuringly. "I've got absolutely nothing to complain about."

She took that as a compliment and blushed. "Right..."

"So, anyways..." He gestured to the door. "Shall we get some bubble tea?"

Sayuri looked into the shop and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure."

"Not a fan?" he asked as he opened the door for her.

She shrugged once more. "I've never had bubble tea."

"Really?" Naruto widened his eyes at her. "And I thought bubble tea was more of a girl thing than a guy thing. I'm really surprised you haven't had it before."

"Well..." Sayuri trailed off before looking at him and smiling. "I guess you can introduce it to me then."

"Just like how I introduced you to casual drinking?"

She smacked him on the arm. "Shhh! And... Yes."

Naruto laughed, but did manage to stop himself when he saw her pout. Though he wanted to tease her a bit more, he held back, knowing that there would be plenty of opportunities to do so later. So, walking in after her, he then guided the Uchiha heiress over to the counter. The girl working there quickly greeted them with a smile, and asked for what they wanted.

"What can I get for you two?"

Sayuri took one look at the menu and made a face. "There are so many options..."

He glanced at her as she stared at the thing, the corner of his lips curving upwards into a smile at the adorably pensive look she had; just the way that she was biting down on her plump, bottom lip, and how intense her gaze was...

"It's usually like that at these sorts of places," said Naruto eventually.

"Hm..." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "I guess I'll have the lychee green tea?"

"Any add-ons, miss?"

"Add-ons..." Sayuri pressed her lips together before turning to Naruto. "What should I get?"

"No matter what I get, I always add on pearls and coconut jelly," he answered.

She nodded her head before looking at the girl working the counter. "I'll have that then please."

"Alrighty! And what it will be for you, sir?"

"Passion fruit green tea with pearls and coconut jelly." Naruto offered the girl a polite smile.

"I'll have it out for you two in a minute."

As girl got to work making their drinks, Sayuri glanced over at one of the couches. "So, do we sit down now, and she'll bring it over to us?"

"Usually we wait for the drinks, and then we sit down," he explained.

"Ah." She looked around the shop and let out a sigh. "It seems like my inexperience is already starting to show."

"Don't worry about it." Naruto smiled reassuringly at her. "You sit down. I'll get the drinks when they're ready."

"No," she said, slightly quicker than she would have liked. "I'll wait with you."

"That's sweet." His smile widened.

Sayuri blushed. "Right..."

God, she looked so cute whenever she was embarrassed. What he would do to just give those cheeks of hers a pi—

"Your order." The girl slid them across the counter at them.

"Thanks!" Naruto gave the girl another quick smile before picking up both drinks and gesturing over to the straws. "What's your favourite colour, Sayuri?"

"Blue."

He promptly took out a blue straw and handed it to her before getting his own. "And orange for me!"

"I was hoping that you'd say red," she said softly, her mild disappointment apparent in her tone.

"Why?" Naruto lifted a brow.

She responded to him by blinking; and when that did not work, she began staring. All he did was stare back. Eventually, she let out an annoyed groan and pointed to her eyes.

"Ooooooh."

"Took you long enough." She snorted.

"But your eyes are so pretty, Sayuri," he retorted. "I'd love them no matter what colour they were!"

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed; her whole demeanor changed as she took on a shyer posture. "Why don't we just sit down already, huh?"

"Sure." He smiled.

They walked over to the nearest couch and sat down beside each other. Looking over at her, he saw that that the rosy red was just starting to fade from her face as she slowly regained her composure. For a moment, he considered saying something to rekindle that adorable blush of hers, but he resisted; he did not want to embarrass her any further—at least not until later.

Keeping an eye on her, he watched as she took out the straw and promptly pierced the lid of her cup with it. Doing the same with his own, he then looked back at her, and waited for her to take her first sip. Perhaps he may have paid a bit too much attention to the way she wrapped those soft, pink lips of hers around her straw as she drank because he quickly found his face heating up, forcing him turn his gaze elsewhere lest another part of his body react as well.

"Blegh..." Sayuri made a face as she groaned, prompting him to look back at her. "This is ungodly sweet."

Despite her words, she took another sip before turning to face him.

"Is this what you people do?" she asked. "You cover cheap tea with copious amounts of sugar?"

Naruto laughed. "I don't see you stopping!"

"I never said that it was a bad thing." She pouted around her straw. "I'm not usually into sweet things..."

"I'm surprised."

"Why is that?" She lifted a brow at him.

He grinned at her. "Because you're one of the sweetest girls I know."

"N-Naruto..." Her face went red. "I seriously doubt that—not with my attitude."

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

Sayuri paused; it was as if she did not know the answer either. "We can talk about it later, Naruto. Right now... I want to... Hmm..."

"You want to...?"

She looked over at his cup. "I want to try yours."

"Oh?" He leaned in. "Already trying to get an indirect kiss in on the first date? How bold of you, Sayuri."

She let out a snort. "I'm nineteen, not nine, Naruto. I can share a straw maturely."

"Go ahead then," he said as he offered her his passion fruit green tea.

Sayuri placed her cup down onto her lap before taking his into her hands. Though she had no qualms with using the same straw as him, his comment suddenly had her thinking. Well... Overthinking. As she placed his straw into her mouth, she could not stop herself from thinking about what he had said; this was an indirect kiss, but... She did not mind—but only because it was him that she was indirectly kissing.

Taking a tentative sip, she hummed pleasedly before looking up at him.

"How is it?" he asked.

"Would you mind..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing when she found her resolve again. "Would you mind trading?"

Naruto let out an amused snort before giving her a smile. "Not at all. Go ahead."

They swapped drinks. Though he was definitely more of a fan of passion fruit than he was lychee, seeing Sayuri happily sip away at the rest of his, now hers, passion fruit green tea. While she drank much more enthusiastically than he did, he still managed to finish the lychee green tea before her. By the time they had finished up at the bubble tea shop, it was already the afternoon.

Only one thing needed to be said when they got out and Naruto's stomach rumbled. At first, Sayuri laughed, but then her stomach did the same.

"Lunch?"

"Lunch." She nodded.

"Great. I know just the place. Follow me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I cut their date in half because I really don't want to write an 8,000 word chapter. So, I'm cutting it off at 4,000. I hope you enjoyed this mishmash of Sayuri, Naruto and Gaara, and Naruto and Sayuri! Please tell me what you think of the story so far, and don't forget to favourite or follow if you want to keep track of my updates! Toodles!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: There we go. For those that wish to compare, I am keeping up the older version of this story up. Maybe I might finish this one. Hopefully, I do. Anyways, if you enjoyed, please favourite, follow, and review. I love feedback!


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